Season Six Scripts
by Wordmage Kazzidae
Summary: This is how I imagine the sixth season of Teen Titans Go! would have been... if they hadn't cancelled it. Please R&R, especially in regard to how close to the real cartoon it is... or isn't. The third chapter is here. READ IT NOW!
1. Meron

Meron

* * *

_(Titans' tower main room, wide-shot. Currently it is completely deserted, but footsteps approaching from the other side of the main door hint that that may not be the case for much longer. The Titans come in through the door, Beast Boy running at the head. He stops in the middle of the room, and breathes in the air in an ostentatious gesture.)_

Beast Boy: Dude, there's no place quite like home.

Starfire: _(spreading arms wide in the accustomed Starfire manner)_ I agree. It is most glorious to once again be in the tower.

Robin: So do you regard this place as home?

Starfire: _(at first reticent)_ …Yes: for now, anyway. I have heard an Earth saying; 'Home is where the heart is'. My heart is with my best friends, here on Earth.

Cyborg: Yeah, it is good to get home. Japan was pretty cool, though; it's one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.

Beast Boy: _(slumps into couch in the accustomed Beast Boy manner)_ The only technology I need is a working TV set… maybe with cable.

_(Robin and Starfire drift off together, and Raven and Cyborg walk over to Beast Boy, presumably to give him a good taunting.)_

Raven: So did you enjoy watching TV in a different country?

Beast Boy: _(switching on, annoyed)_ Hey, I didn't just watch TV while we were in Tokyo, you know. When I go to other countries, especially Japan, I take the chance to check out the culture a bit. It's exotic and different.

Cyborg: _(smiling wickedly)_ Yeah, so instead of reading comics you read manga, you ate proper Japanese tofu rather than the American-made product, and you watched TV programs in Japanese instead of ones in English. Yeah, I can _really_ see a big difference there...

Beast Boy: _(indignantly, actually bothering to turn away from the TV)_ But there _is_ a big difference! Japanese programs are so weird; I couldn't understand any of them, even the ones with subtitles!

Raven: Well, there are no surprises there. You can't understand most things.

_(Beast Boy, quite predictably, gets steamed up by this; Raven, having done her job, retreats to her room, not trying all that hard to hide the smile beneath her hood.)_

Cyborg: Hey, calm down BB, we're just playing with you. Are you on for a game?

Beast Boy: No dude: 'Clash of the Planets' is on.

Cyborg: I thought you said you'd watched every episode of that thing three hundred times.

Beast Boy: _(looks at Cyborg sceptically)_ And… your point is?

_(Starfire sees the TV screen as Beast Boy flicks to 'Clash of the Planets'.)_

Starfire: That is another thing I cannot understand about humans. They know that aliens do exist, yet I have seen no programs documenting any, not even Tamaranians. They seem more content to create fictional alien worlds than research any real ones.

Robin: _(moving to stand by the window and look up at the sky; Starfire follows)_ I'm not really sure I can answer that, Star. Maybe it's because they're afraid; it's easier to make it up than actually go out there and see what's real.

Starfire: _(confused)_ Why should they be afraid? We Tamaranians bear no grudge against humans.

Robin: I know, but you need to understand something very fundamental about humans; they are instinctively afraid of what they do not know. Very often we make fun of things when we don't understand them to make them seem less scary; sometimes even insult and degrade them, I'm afraid. It can't really be helped: it's an instinctive trait. Besides, Tamaranians aren't the only aliens. There are lots of species out there that would like to hurt us; you should know. We've had to fight a few of them.

_(Starfire looks as though she is about to speak, when she notices something outside; she draws Robin's attention to it.)_

Starfire: And I think there are still a few more.

_(Starfire is referring to a gunmetal grey star-ship that is, as she speaks, flying towards the city, guns blazing and distributing red lasers about the place.)_

_(Opening sequence.)_

* * *

_(The star-ship has landed on a wide road, and the citizens are fleeing as best they can from it. However, it is proving to be difficult, seeing as how an opaque force field of energy has established itself in a massive hemisphere around the ship, trapping a few of them inside. Doors in the side of the ship open to reveal a crowd of Locrix. Most of them are normal ones, but a few are slightly larger and almost completely white with red circuitry and eyes. Cut to the Titans, who are standing not too far off.)_

Cyborg: I'll tell you this for nothing; that force field is insanely powerful. The amount of energy being channelled into it is enormous; I don't know if it can be broken.

Beast Boy: Dude, leave it to me. If there's anyone around here who can break it, I can. I was born to break stuff.

_(He transforms into an ox that then charges full speed at the force field, head down. It seems for a moment like he might do it; the force field bulges inwards. However, it snaps back out again like a rubber band. Beast Boy tries again as an elephant and just gets a headache. For the finale, he flies very high up and then drops straight down on the force field as a ridiculously huge whale. The force field repels him straight back up like a trampoline; he transforms back into his human form as he falls. Raven sees him coming, and steps one pace the right; instead he lands in a blob of dark energy that deposits him unceremoniously on the tarmac.)_

Raven: You sure were; you nearly broke every bone in your body just then.

Beast Boy: Hey, I was going to turn into a bird when you intervened with your creepy dark powers.

_(Inside the force field, the Locrix are rounding up the people and dragging them back to the star-ship. The Titans can't see this, since the force field is opaque, but they can hear the screams.)_

Robin: We need to get rid of that force field now! If we can't break it, what can we do?

Cyborg: It's being generated from a device they have mounted on top of the ship. If you destroy that, the force field goes.

Robin: Raven, we need you to phase through the force field and destroy that generator.

Cyborg: It's a huge dish at the top; you can't miss it.

_(Raven nods and turns into the black raven form. She travels up over the field and, at its peak, plunges through. There she finds the generator; a quick slash of dark energy destroys it. The force field dissipates, and the Locrix are revealed.)_

Starfire: _What?_ We defeated the Locrix. How can they be back?

Robin: Maybe Val-Yor was even worse than we thought he was. We'll just have to finish the job. Titans, go!

_(The normal Locrix charge to the ship with the citizens; Raven locks the doors back in place and pierces their midsections with darkness, like in 'Troq', freeing their prisoners. Meanwhile, Robin leads the charge into the main body of the Locrix; he throws a few birdarangs before taking out the quarterstaff and whacking a few of them. Cyborg blasts a couple with the sonic cannon and goes to work with his fists with Beast Boy at his side, who is dispatching Locrix with consummate ease, his old trick of becoming a hummingbird to fly between their needle-like missiles proving as ever effective. Starfire provides air cover, blasting the Locrix where appropriate. Since they seem to be doing well enough, Raven takes it upon herself to ferry the citizens to safety.)_

Robin: Don't let them get to the citizens; we can't allow any hostages!

_(Robin slashes at a white Locrix which is trying to contravene his wishes with his quarterstaff but, unlike his many fallen comrades, this one resists; its red circuitry glows and the white material it is made of latches onto the staff and quickly consumes Robin's arms too. The Locrix spins about and pitches Robin into the distance, throwing him like a hammer. Cyborg throws a punch at a white Locrix and is surprised to find that a hole opens up before his hand touches it; his hand goes through and is engulfed by the white material, the red glowing as before.)_

Cyborg: Okay… I guess you Locrix have been upgrading while you were away.

_(Cyborg struggles to get out, and only just manages to dodge the Locrix coming from behind him by blasting his hand out by use of sonic energy; the other one is easily taken by surprise. Beast Boy finishes off a group of them except one, which also happens to be a white one. Beast Boy charges it as a tiger and leaps straight for its eye; the white Locrix immediately seems to melt and becomes a white puddle on the floor. Beast Boy changes back.)_

Beast Boy: Oh. Well, that was easy.

_(The puddle zooms back upward, and the newly reconstituted white Locrix bats Beast Boy away with ease; he falls next to Robin and Cyborg as they regroup to charge again.)_

Beast Boy: Dude! What is with those white ones? It just turned into a puddle and back and then whacked me!

Cyborg: Another white one almost ate my hand.

Robin: And my staff got caught inside another; it threw me. These things seem to have the ability to shape-shift. Be very careful with the white Locrix.

Starfire: Friends; move!

_(Almost as soon as Starfire has finished this sentence, a red laser-beam scythes through the air towards Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy; they each dodge in their respective fashions. We see that one of the turrets on the star ship shot this beam, and several more are powering up.)_

Robin: Starfire and Raven; try and destroy those laser turrets if you can. We'll handle these Locrix.

_(Starfire and Raven gesture the affirmative and fly off to the ship, dispensing destruction amongst the turrets as they can without getting hit. They are drawing most of the laser-fire, but Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy's progress is impeded by it; the white Locrix are pushing them back, slowly but surely. Raven finishes off another turret, and temporarily shields herself from another one. Through the darkness she sees a very familiar space ship; it is identical to the one Val-Yor first used. The guns on this space ship fire down at the Locrix star ship. Raven, realising that Starfire is in imminent danger, sweeps off to save her as the black raven; she only just makes it in time as the space ship's lasers narrowly miss them, Starfire having been moved away by the dark energy. The laser turrets wing the space ship; it destabilizes and swoops off sideways. Meanwhile, the boys are in a sticky situation; the white Locrix have them surrounded on all sides. The space ship is heading towards them as it fires off two missiles into the Locrix on the other side of them; this side is destroyed when the space ship crashes. Instantly oversized green laser beams rip through the Locrix, and they retreat to the star ship, revealing the two missiles to actually have been ejected escape pods. Val-Yor is one of the two; the other is a female of his species named Kir-Lat.)_

Kir-Lat: Humans; retreat! We cannot win here.

Beast Boy: What do you mean? You just blasted the Locrix into next week!

_(The white material strewn about the floor; the remnants of the white Locrix weren't totally blasted, starts to move together and form new Locrix.)_

Cyborg: I think they got blasted _slightly_ closer than just next week.

_(They all high-tail it out of there. The white Locrix return to their star ship and a new force field generator is set up. Things have calmed down slightly, so Robin, Cyborg and Beast By go over to the two aliens.)_

Cyborg: Well, well: look who's back.

Beast Boy: Val-Yor! I thought we told you that you weren't welcome here.

Val-Yor: Do you think I wanted to come? I have better things to do than waste my time with a load of Troq-sympathizers.

_(Kir-Lat backs away from Val-Yor and points behind him. He turns and finds himself staring at a wrathful Raven.)_

Raven: I have had just about enough of you and your contempt for Tamaranians. You nearly _killed_ Starfire back there with your deadeye shooting skills!

_(Val-Yor is about to return the favour when Kir-Lat moves between Raven and him.)_

Kir-Lat: That is quite enough. We are not here to bicker over racial differences; the Locrix are more our concern right now.

_(Val-Yor holds Raven's glare for a few seconds before glancing over her at Starfire. Starfire decides that Val-Yor is a lost cause and turns to Kir-Lat instead.)_

Starfire: Please, what is your name?

Kir-Lat: I am Kir-Lat.

Robin: Why are the Locrix back?

Beast Boy: And why were they all white? They can fight way better than they used to be able to!

Kir-Lat: Please! I do not know why or how the Locrix are back. That is part of the reason I came here.

Val-Yor: I'm telling you: it's just a waste of time.

_(Kir-Lat rolls her eyes.)_

Kir-Lat: Please excuse Val-Yor; he can be amazingly obnoxious in the presence of aliens.

_(Val-Yor is about to speak when he is again interrupted; the ship disengages its force field and blasts off. Cyborg and Starfire ready missiles, but Kir-Lat urges them to stay their hands.)_

Kir-Lat: That will be of no use now. The ship is too heavily armoured. The Locrix shall doubtless return, but until then we should remain within your base of operations.

Robin: Fine, but I want a question answered first. Why are you here?

Val-Yor: I would have thought that was obvious. We are here to protect those too weak to do it themselves.

_(Kir-Lat shoots Val-Yor a dirty look and flies off to the tower; Raven provides a platform for the Titans and ferries them across the water. Val-Yor follows on behind, whilst Kir-Lat joins the Titans on Raven's platform.)_

Kir-Lat: To put it simply, we are here because the Sol system is the last between the Locrix Empire and our own system. If Earth falls, then they can use it as a strong position from which to launch an attack on our home world; we cannot allow that to happen.

Cyborg: So if things have become so desperate, why are there only two of you here?

_(Kir-Lat sighs heavily.)_

Kir-Lat: That is because most of my race, sadly, considers humans to be… inferior. We are a species that has defined itself by war; many races have tried to defeat us. Thankfully, none have succeeded yet, but it has instilled within most of our kind a great contempt for those not warlike, or those who spend too much time concentrating on the more light-hearted features of life. That mostly explains the innate racism we hold for Tamaranians. Therefore, we have been sent to try and rescue what is viewed essentially as a lost cause in any case; me because I hold little regard for the arts of war, and Val-Yor because he is… how should I put this…

Val-Yor: Capable? Superior?

Kir-Lat: We have been through this before, Val-Yor. I do not wish to repeat it again.

Starfire: Why must you always be so insensitive and mean?

_(Val-Yor looks at Starfire coldly and lands in front of her on the platform.)_

Val-Yor: In case you, in your stunning capacity for naivety, have failed to notice, we are in the middle of a war. People who are sensitive and kind do not last very long in wars, especially Troqs like you!

_(There is a sound of metal as Robin draws several birdarangs.)_

Robin: You will not say that again if you know what's good for you.

_(Again, Kir-Lat must be the mediator.)_

Kir-Lat: _(to Robin)_ You put away your weapons, _(to Val-Yor)_ and you shut up.

Val-Yor: But he drew-

Kir-Lat: I am the superior officer here, and you follow _my_ orders, understood? And I don't care if he did draw weapons on you; it was provoked and fully justified in my opinion.

_(Val-Yor backs off with as much dignity as he can salvage.)_

Val-Yor: _(to Robin)_ Why do you care so much for her? She's not even one of your kind.

_(Robin ignores him, so Raven speaks instead.)_

Raven: You're not just physically blind; you're emotionally blind as well.

Val-Yor: _(puzzled and angered)_ What's that supposed to mean?

Beast Boy: Figure it out, genius.

_(Val-Yor draws a blank.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Back in the main room of the tower, Kir-Lat walks up to the big screen and inserts some kind of storage device; images run over it in accordance with what she says. The Titans are watching from the couch. Val-Yor is nowhere to be seen.)_

Kir-Lat: To be honest, we don't have much of an idea how it is exactly the Locrix have returned. We only knew about the one power station; with that destroyed their whole system should have shut down. However, it turned out that they had a reserve power source hidden away somewhere, but they were not foolish enough to attack us straight away. For quite a time they went into hiding, and we were sure that the Locrix threat was finally gone, so our race began to mine the Locrix home planet for the metals that the machines had originally used for their own purposes. The Locrix returned with a vengeance; they obliterated our base on their planet by means of a massive sneak attack. They knew Centian so well that there were really no holes in their plan; the Locrix had taken back the planet within a day. Apparently they had taken great pains in making a whole new army, and a whole new kind of soldier.

Cyborg: Those white shape-shifting ones?

Kir-Lat: Yes. They are almost impossible to destroy; nothing but oversized laser beam weapons like the ones Val-Yor and I are equipped with or similarly destructive explosives will terminate the white Locrix. If you cut them, they stick back together; if you remove a part of them, they regenerate. Only by completely decimating the white Locrix can you ensure that they do not stand again.

Raven: Don't they have any other weakness? Surely you've observed them for one?

Kir-Lat: Well, we did manage to obtain a piece of the material they are made from. Upon observation it turned out to be a highly flexible alloy; unlike any metal we've ever seen. When the circuits within it are subjected to the right charges of electricity, it can change to almost any shape, and even grow. It seems to have almost biological properties- yes, Beast Boy?

_(He has put up his hand in the manner of a student, but his question and expression are entirely serious.)_

Beast Boy: Can you eat it?

Raven: Earth to Beast Boy; just because it's white that doesn't mean it's tofu.

Kir-Lat: Well, I suppose it's possible that you could; there are no toxins of any kind in the metal.

Cyborg: So you can eat it. What are you planning to do, Beast Boy; eat the entire Locrix army?

Beast Boy: Dude, I'm serious… this time. Kir-Lat, Have you ever heard of new-fu?

Kir-Lat: No. Why?

Robin: Are you seriously proposing that this metal could be made out of new-fu?

_(Beast Boy stands up and starts speaking in increasingly emotional tones_.)

Beast Boy: Why not? Think about it; _(he pulls down a screen which displays SD Titans beating the Locrix and new-fu)_ both the new-fu and the Locrix got their butts handed to them on a silver platter by nobody but _us_, the Teen Titans, _(the screen changes to the Locrix and new-fu shaking hands or similar)_ so maybe they got together, created a new kind of strange bionic metal that would in the end become the very building blocks of an indestructible soldier to destroy the Earth and us!

_(The last panel of the screen, a picture of an SD white Locrix raising a sledgehammer over a football sized Earth, is picked up by Raven it turns out to be card-sized, torn to shreds and throw lackadaisically over her shoulder.)_

Raven: Beast Boy, don't open your mouth. Whenever you do weird and useless if not actively harmful ideas come out of it.

Cyborg: Yeah, this is even weirder than the Hamster Underground.

_(Show three second montage of the Hamster Underground as seen in 'Revolution'. The middle hamster is green, and turns into the human Beast Boy; the remaining two hamsters run away screaming since they are now tiny in comparison to him.)_

Beast Boy: But what's so unbelievable about this idea? It is actually possible this time!

_(The two hamsters from before return; this time they have the rest of the Teen Titans along with them, minus Starfire. They are all hamster sized. Robin and Cyborg trip him up and Raven ties him down with darkness. Return to the main room; Beast Boy is making a pleading gesture to Starfire, since she seems to be the only person not sceptical to his idea.)_

Starfire: I must agree with the others, Beast Boy. It is highly illogical and not something the Locrix would seem to be inclined towards doing. They are machines that have set out to dominate all organic life to prove that they are superior to it; I cannot envision them and the irrefutably biological new-fu becoming _allies_.

Beast Boy: What about you, Kir-Lat? You're the expert here!

_(She remains silent for a second or two, thinking about it.)_

Kir-Lat: …It is highly improbable, but definitely not impossible. Nothing is impossible. However, what exactly are the new-fu? Why do you think they would do this? Please; explain to me about them.

Beast Boy: Well, it all began when we found out that cows were disappearing from all the farms…

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(The ship has landed again, now that it is fully repaired; the sun has set since the first fight. This time, however, they are not looking for hostages; the Locrix have landed next to a power plant. The star ship's door open, and the white Locrix start pouring out. Cut to the Titans, Kir-Lat and Val-Yor; they are positioned on a nearby rooftop. Kir-Lat and Robin are viewing the Locrix through binoculars. Beast Boy is not present.)_

Val-Yor: Those Locrix are so predictable.

Kir-Lat: So are you. You need to stop underestimating your enemy.

Starfire: And your potential allies.

_(Val-Yor ignores Starfire and speaks to Kir-Lat, even then in grating tones.)_

Val-Yor: So are we going in or what? All this waiting around is seriously annoying me.

Robin: _(tiresomely, not turning from the binoculars) _Have you ever heard of something called 'patience'?

Kir-Lat: I'm afraid our impetuous friend has yet to experience such a virtue.

Cyborg: You know the plan, Val-Yor. We wait for Beast Boy.

Val-Yor: I fail to see what that diminutive green jester has to contribute.

Raven: The very fact that he is a jester is what we're counting on.

_(Cut to the mass of white Locrix, viewed from a distance and from ground level. A shoed foot steps into view.)_

Beast Boy: Hey you! Yeah, the walking meat substitutes!

_(The Locrix turn to face Beast Boy; we see that he is aiming a gun at them.)_

Beast Boy: When you're staring down the barrel of a high-powered rifle, there's just one question you need to ask yourself; 'Am I feeling lucky today?'

_(The Locrix charge forwards, and Beast Boy shoots; a surprising amount of water is sprayed over the white Locrix. However, they do not stop, or even slow down. Beast Boy stares at the water gun forlornly.)_

Beast Boy: The answer in my case is a definite 'no'. I wonder why it didn't work… ah well.

_(He tosses away the gun and batters off the opposition by use of the T-Rex form. He holds his own for a while, but is soon overcome by the sheer magnitude of white Locrix weighing him down.)_

Beast Boy: Okay, dude, I give up! Take me to your leader, or whatever it is you aliens say. Or maybe the leader could come out here?

_(The Locrix start to carry him back to the ship.)_

Beast Boy: What, is your leader too much of a chicken or what?

_(Beast Boy turns into one, escapes and starts clucking uproariously, running around in circles; the Locrix can't catch him. Finally, the door opens, and out comes the Source, this time installed inside a massive Locrix robot body that has a face of its own; this is Locrix Prime. Briefly cut to the Titans.)_

Source: I am no chicken!

Prime: All biological beings are inferior to the might of the Locrix.

Beast Boy: Oh yeah? So why'd you saddle yourself with the new-fu? Were you afraid that the Titans would kick your butts again if you-?

Prime: _Silence!_

_(Source/Prime moves through the crowd of white Locrix, parting them like water before Moses.)_

Source: Us new-fu are no longer biological. Now that we have completed the grand union of the new-fu and the Locrix, we are _bionic!_

Prime: An acceptable compromise, given the circumstances.

Beast Boy: What circumstances are those? The ones where us 'biological beings' take you aliens to the cleaners?

_(Prime/Source reaches Beast Boy and stands towering above him.)_

Prime: I accept that there was a defeat, yes, but it was only temporary. The Locrix have risen again and, now in partnership with the new-fu, we will dominate all biological life in the universe!

Beast Boy: Wow. I couldn't find anything that exceeded your ego until just now; your ignorance is astoundingly developed. It makes me feel intelligent just being in your presence.

Source: You are the fool here! You are the one who has allowed himself to be captured, and I don't think I can see any signs of your precious friends coming to rescue you.

Beast Boy: If you can't see what's there, it might not necessarily mean that it isn't there; it might just mean you're blind.

Prime: Idiot human. Unlike you organics I do not have to rely on a mere five senses; especially not the poor eyesight that you humans seem to have such faith in. My sensors are perfect. Nothing can get by them without me knowing.

Beast Boy: Can you eat?

Source: _(confused)_ No.

Beast Boy: Ah… I guess your words will have to go to waste then.

Robin: _(off in the distance)_ Titans, go!

_(Kir-Lat and Val-Yor's laser weapons decapitate two of the star ship's laser turrets; Cyborg's sonic cannon blasts off another, Starfire's nova energy streams through a turret and Raven's darkness wrenches one out of its socket and throws it into the crowd of white Locrix. However, that is not what Source/Prime is concerned about; four small but highly potent rockets have just barrelled into the Locrix, disintegrating quite a lot of them. Kir-Lat and Val-Yor move their fire to the white Locrix; again Starfire and Raven are on turret duty, and Cyborg and Robin are in the thick of the fight. Source/Prime looks down again, but Beast Boy isn't there.)_

Source: His disappearance is of no consequence. We cannot lose this battle; we have them seriously outnumbered.

Prime: As ever, you are being overly incautious. Though we may outnumber them by a large factor, they have a noticeably superior ability for destruction.

_(Robin throws an ice disc at a white Locrix, followed by a hefty kick; it shatters into millions of tiny pieces. Cyborg is dealing destruction with his twin sonic cannons. Raven and Starfire have finished with the turrets, and are now helping out down there; nova energy and darkness are wreaking havoc amongst the Locrix ranks. And, as ever, the outsized green beams are ripping the Locrix to shreds. Again, there is no Beast Boy.)_

Source: Granted, they are very powerful. However, I don't think even they can defeat our star ship.

Prime: Very well. Pull back as many as can be spared; we need to leave a few troops to keep the organics busy.

_(Source/Prime retreat to the star ship with most of the Locrix. It takes off, and the Titans finish off the few that were left.)_

Cyborg: Booyah! Look at them running!

Kir-Lat: Um, Cyborg? Look closer.

_(A host of rockets is, even now, streaming towards the Titans. Source/Prime appears on a screen on the side of the star ship.)_

Prime: _(over a loudspeaker)_ Don't bother running; those rockets are guided and have a blast radius capable of wiping out an ocean liner. Unless any of you are able to withstand several megatons of explosives, I'm afraid it's goodbye, _organics._

Val-Yor: Not if I have anything to do with it.

_(He readies the laser cannon in his hands.)_

Kir-Lat: Are you deaf? Even if you shot them now, the explosion would still kill us! Stand down, Val-Yor!

Val-Yor: I don't see anyone else here with a bright plan to save us.

Robin: That's where you're wrong. If you would be so good as to do the honours, Raven?

Raven: _Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_

_(Raven ensnares them with darkness and forces them back at the star ship. Source/Prime realizes what is happening and activates the force field; the rockets explode only managing to buffet the star ship. Otherwise, there is no damage. The force field drops.)_

Source: Very well, Titans. You may have won this bout, but we can go anywhere around the world, and you cannot possibly know where we will strike next. Heed my words, Titans; _your world is doomed to destruction!_

_(The star ship zooms off into the night sky. Val-Yor turns on Robin.)_

Val-Yor: So now what, oh great leader?

Kir-Lat: What are you so disgruntled about?

Val-Yor: In case you failed to notice, Kir-Lat, it was right! There's no way we can stop them from attacking anywhere in the world; we're stuck here!

_(Kir-Lat looks at Robin. He nods.)_

Kir-Lat: We don't have to follow them. We've already got someone aboard.

Val-Yor: What? Who-?

_(He looks around and realizes who is missing.)_

Val-Yor: _Beast Boy?_ You sent him to infiltrate the Locrix? He is not trained for espionage of such a high order-

Robin: He doesn't have to be. He can shape-shift, remember? A little bit of white paint, and he can look exactly like one of the Locrix.

Val-Yor: Why wasn't I told of this?

Raven: Because you really are predictable. We knew that you would disagree and just bicker pointlessly about it, insisting that you be sent instead. That would have just wasted time, so we decided to take the easy path and just not tell you.

Val-Yor: What exactly are you hoping he'll do to them, though? Make them so annoyed that they'll blow up or what? I demand to know your plans! I have a right to know; I am your ally!

_(The Titans walk off with Kir-Lat. Cyborg, however, stops behind for a minute.)_

Cyborg: Do you hear that?

Val-Yor: Do I hear what?

_(There is complete silence.)_

Cyborg: I think that's the sound of no-one caring.

_(Cyborg walks away. Val-Yor gives him a contemptuous look before flying to Kir-Lat.)_

Val-Yor: Since you are the superior officer, I find it my duty to inform you that the Titans are treating me with contempt and disdain.

_(Kir-Lat sighs and waves the others on. She stops to talk with Val-Yor; Starfire listens in from the shadows.)_

Kir-Lat: That's interesting. I've never known you to adhere so strictly to duty before.

Val-Yor: But-!

Kir-Lat: No. I will not hear any of this. The reason they treat you with contempt and disdain is because you did so to them first. Respect is a two-way street, lest you forget, and you should treat others as you wish them to treat you. Perhaps if you learned that you would be able to understand why it is that everyone who knows you for who you truly are hates you.

Val-Yor: _(shocked)_ You… hate me?

Kir-Lat: I'm sorry; did I stutter? _Yes,_ I do. You may not have noticed it, but I am not the only one, and I am not referring to the other species.

_(Kir-Lat flies off to the Titans, leaving Val-Yor to contemplate his position. Starfire looks as though she may speak, but decides that Val-Yor needs time to think; instead she gives a hopeful smile and goes to the others.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(On the Locrix ship, a line of white Locrix is marching down a corridor. The last one marches on the spot as it reaches a side-door, contriving to look as innocent as possible and hoping nobody will see it, and then darts through the door to its side. It turns out to be Beast Boy; he changes back to his human form but, unfortunately, is still covered in white. He is inside a dimly lit room, and there doesn't seem to be anyone there, so he relaxes.)_

Beast Boy: I hope I can get off this ship soon. Being covered in paint is seriously no fun, even if it is non-toxic. Where am I, anyway?

_(Beast Boy presses a button next to the door that he presumes to be the light switch. The room suddenly floods with light, revealing a room stuffed to bursting with computer equipment and, in the middle, is a single terminal, which Beast Boy walks up to, after a brief freak-out episode upon seeing the sheer volume of computing apparatus.)_

Beast Boy: Wow… it's a good thing Cyborg's not with me right now or he'd be spouting reams of techno-gibberish. So, what can this thing do…?

_(Beast Boy activates the computer. The screen fills with binary code that he can't make either head nor tail of.)_

Beast Boy: Actually, bringing Cyborg may not have been such a bad idea after all… where's the keyboard or mouse on this thing? Wait; you're not thinking. Locrix wouldn't use manual input devices; they would use more direct ways… is that it?

_(Beast Boy finds a device that, once he has turned into a Locrix, fits quite neatly about his middle, where the central processor should be; it has several wires leading to the terminal before him. Since he does not have a central processor, however, he just changes back to human. It can be strapped about his head instead, but…)_

Beast Boy: …Usually when I use electronic stuff I end up breaking it. Well, that's the point here, but… um…

_(Screen pulls in that shows an SD Beast Boy at the computer. The screen displays this: 'Self-destruct mode activated: T-minus '10' seconds to completion.' The number continues to decrease as the SD Beast Boy freaks out and runs about the place screaming. The screen then displays: 'Self-destruction sequence completed. Have a nice day.' As if the irony needs any more reinforcing, there is also a large smiley face. The entire screen blows up, and the real white Beast Boy is there again, staring at the input device.)_

Beast Boy: I hope I know what I'm doing…

_(He ties the device about his head in the fashion of a Kamikaze pilot and cracks his knuckles determinedly.)_

Beast Boy: Let's do this.

_(Beast Boy presses a button above where the wires enter the terminal. He is instantly whisked away to a dark abyss.)_

Beast Boy: So… where am I _this_ time?

_(Beast Boy no longer white looks down and realizes that he is standing on top of large green '1'. It is moving along at quite a pace with lots of other 1s and 0s. They all seem to be heading towards a city of green buildings, where binary code is zipping about the place in large quantities.)_

Beast Boy: Um… do you guys happen to know where the ship's self-destruct function is?

_(The 0 in front of Beast Boy swivels around and stares at him with suddenly existent eyes; he gives a short scream.)_

0: _(sternly) _Do you have authorization?

Beast Boy: Authorization? Oh, sure, I got that.

0: Show me.

Beast Boy: _(half-heartedly patting his suit)_ Oh, gee, I guess I must have left my authorization at home. Look: this is really important, so could you just tell me?

0: Sorry. No authorisation, no directions.

_(They have arrived in the green city; the 0 starts to roll away.)_

Beast Boy: _(getting a brainwave)_ Oh, wait, I just remembered; I do have authorization. It's right here.

_(The 0 turns to see it. Beast Boy is holding a rectangular section of air.)_

0: I see no authorization.

Beast Boy: Sure you don't; that's because it's encrypted to be invisible. This is a very important authorization; if any viruses were to see and destroy it the consequences could be catastrophic.

0: _(knowingly)_ Oh sure, I knew that. Yeah, the self-destruct function is just down that street there.

Beast Boy: Thanks!

_(He walks off down the road, dodging hopping 1s and rolling 0s.)_

Beast Boy: So I'm down that street. Where is-

_(He turns to see a door, with a huge sign above it saying 'Self-Destruct'.)_

Beast Boy: _(tiresomely)_ Why do they always make it so obvious? If it's not a huge sign it's a big red button…

_(Beast Boy walks through the door, and finds a big green button prominently displayed on a pedestal. He sighs, and presses it. Instantly Beast Boy is back in the Locrix ship and white again. The screen is showing his worst nightmare; the prediction from before was sadly correct. After another short scream he gets rid of the headband and runs for it. The Locrix in the corridor outside are surprised to find a white elephant barrel through the wall next to them and out through the other. Cut to Source/Prime; they have hopped into a ship and jettisoned.)_

Source: What is happening?

Prime: The self-destruct protocol has somehow been activated, and part of the ship has been breached. And I think I know who did it…

_(A video screen in the ship displays the white elephant crashing out of the outside of the ship; it instantly changes to a pterodactyl which then soars to Earth.)_

Source: _It's him…_ you have irked me for the last time, green human!

Prime: He is white.

Source: _Shut up!_

Prime: You will not tell _me_ to shut up.

_(Their bickering continues as they fly away from the ship; it explodes magnificently, breaking in two like an airborne Titanic and kicking up two massive plumes of sand as it lands in the desert below. Meanwhile, Beast Boy is making his way to the ground so he can get a bearing of some kind on his situation, when a red laser blast comes close to removing his head. He swoops off to the side just in time, and hides behind a rock promontory as his human self still white, of course.)_

Beast Boy: What is wrong with these guys? They just don't give up! Well… why should they? They've got me on my own in the middle of the desert, them with a ship and me without, and I don't even know if my tracker will work from this distance. _(he sighs deeply)_ It's times like this that make me wonder why I bother getting up in the morning.

_(The red laser blasts come again; he ducks and flies away just as the rock teeters over and collapses on the spot where he just was. He hears a snatch of their argument.)_

Prime: I don't even know why I made an alliance with a useless organic like you in the first place.

_(Beast Boy latches on to the idea and lands, smiling wickedly; as the ship swoops by again he shouts.)_

Beast Boy: Come on, Source! Are you going to take that from a rusty bucket of bolts?

Source: I most definitely am not! I conclude this alliance as of now!

Prime: Oh, and what are you going to do? You are a useless organic without me!

Beast Boy: _(shouting from outside the ship)_ Kick his butt! You can take that cranky old has-been any day of the week!

_(The Source comes free of Prime and becomes an amorphous white blob that attacks Prime. Beast Boy looks on, satisfied, as the ship veers wildly off into the sand.)_

Beast Boy: Well, that's them sorted… uh-oh.

_(Prime and the white blob that is the Source are advancing towards him across the sand from the wreckage of their ship.)_

Beast Boy: Oh, hey there guys. Aren't you angry at each other?

Prime: You are the one that made us crash.

Source: Therefore, we shall temporarily put aside our differences to _crush you_.

_(Multiple rocket launchers appear from Prime's back.)_

Prime: You have been a virus in my system long enough. Execute.

_(The rockets fire straight at Beast Boy; he flies away as quickly as possible. He loops around and leads the rockets straight towards the Source; unfortunately he dodges easily. Beast Boy becomes too tired to keep flying that quickly and falls to the sand.)_

Beast Boy: Dude, this can't be the end! I still have so many things left to do!

_(As Beast Boy stares at the missiles, darkness spreads across his vision; the black raven swallows up the rockets and fires them back out at Prime and the Source; they dodge and, instead, the rockets hit the rock cliff behind them, burying each under a hundredweight of rubble. Raven looks back over her shoulder at Beast Boy.)_

Raven: Are you okay?

Beast Boy: Well, yeah, _now_ I am.

_(The T-Ship lands, and from it emerge the rest of the Titans; Kir-Lat and Val-Yor have been riding on the wings, seeing as how they can fly.)_

Beast Boy: Dude, it's about time! Those guys almost toasted me!

Raven: _(supremely annoyed)_ It's nice to see you being so grateful.

_(Raven punctuates this with a frown and goes off to fight Prime and the Source, leaving Beast Boy somewhat bewildered.)_

Beast Boy: _(feeling wronged)_ What did I say?

_(The stones are moving aside as Prime forces his way out; the Source simply oozes out between the cracks. Kir-Lat and Val-Yor draw a bead on either one.)_

Kir-Lat: Do not move. If you surrender now, we guarantee you survival.

Source: In a detention cell, yes?

Val-Yor: What do you think?

Prime: The day I surrender to an organic is the day my logic centres are short-circuited.

_(With that, his chest opens up, revealing a laser cannon; his fingers become laser-gun barrels. Prime lets loose at the 'organics'.)_

Robin: Titans, go!

_(Robin hurls an explosive disc through the hail of fire as he acrobatically dodges the lasers; Prime staggers back, but is otherwise unharmed. Kir-Lat takes the opportunity to let loose a shot at Prime, and follows it up by smashing Prime into the rock face with the gun; he rebounds off it surprisingly athletically and charges Kir-Lat, guns blazing. The shots miss, but he head-butts her away, returning the favour. Raven intervenes, sprouting up behind Prime and slashing diagonally both ways. Prime does not rely on eyesight, so he sees Raven coming, but nevertheless cannot dodge quickly enough; one of his arms drops to the floor. He tries to regenerate, but the Source is no longer within him; he can't do it. Meanwhile, Val-Yor takes a shot at the Source but misses as the white blob once again easily dodges. Cyborg leaps in and smashes both fists into the Source. Quite predictably, his arms get stuck, and the Source smiles devilishly.)_

Cyborg: _(enthusiastic)_ Turn it up!

_(The blue of Cyborg's arms glows increasingly more and more white, and the Source realizes too late what's happening; twin sonic blasts knock holes in the Source. However, it fights back, knocking Cyborg off his feet. Starfire watches this, and gets an idea; she soars towards the Source and grabs the white material, charging it full of nova energy. The Source gives a shout of pain and leaps away; part of the whiteness suddenly scythes out and sends Starfire flying. Beast Boy now takes his turn; a green leopard runs up the Source and takes a swipe. The hit is dodged, and the Source tries to capture Beast Boy. A little green hummingbird easily escapes the incoming white material, and suddenly a hippo comes down upon the Source. It gets squashed outwards and reforms, smashing him off into the sands.)_

Source: You cannot possibly hope to defeat me, changeling! I can transform far more efficiently than you shall ever be able to!

Val-Yor: Talk is cheap.

_(The Source is taken from behind, and Val-Yor slams him into the cliff-face again. He runs up and follows it with several more punches, and then steps back with the laser gun.)_

Val-Yor: Prepare to be terminated, new-fu scum.

_(Starfire has returned, flying above the proceedings below. She notices that the rock is cracking higher up.)_

Starfire: Val-Yor, do not-!

_(She is too late; Val-Yor has fired, eradicating the Source. However, the rock is crumbling, so Starfire takes the initiative; she flies in and knocks Val-Yor out of the way. She does not have enough time to get out, and a blow to the head efficaciously knocks her cold. There is so much of it that even a Tamaranian would have severe difficulty getting out, and there is one last massive boulder perched precariously on the rapidly crumbling edge. Cyborg and Beast Boy are still AWOL, and everyone else is still fighting Prime, who has them pinned under a hailstorm of laser-fire. Val-Yor has a brief fight with his conscience, but a groan of moving stone from above spurs him to action. He clears away the worst of the rocks with the laser cannon, and lifts the last few himself, not wanting to hurt Starfire. The boulder above finally decides to fall, and Val-Yor finds Starfire's hand amongst the rubble; he pulls and flies from the stone before the boulder falls, very narrowly escaping getting crushed. Meantime, Raven teleports Kir-Lat behind Prime, and she fires a massive laser blast that just misses him. However, not that he is sailing through the air, Prime cannot direct his course, and it is a simple matter for Robin to hit him with an electronic disc. When Prime stands again, it is obvious that his circuits are very badly disrupted.)_

Raven: It seems the organics have you outmatched.

Prime: _(his voice is scrambled)_ This is not over.

Kir-Lat: Are there other Locrix?

Prime: _(for once he actually seems to be happy)_ Ha… wouldn't you like to know?

_(With that, he disappears in a rose of flame; Raven shields Kir-Lat and Robin. Prime has been reduced to spare parts.)_

Robin: Well, at least the threat has been removed… for now. I just wish we could have got the answer first.

Kir-Lat: Don't blame yourself; you did what you-

Val-Yor: Kir-Lat!

_(Kir-Lat's eyes open wide; she cannot believe what she is seeing. Robin is first to speak though; he runs up to Val-Yor.)_

Robin: Starfire! Is she alright?

Val-Yor: I don't know… but we need to get her back as soon as possible. I just hope the conditions weren't _too_ hostile...

_(Val-Yor studies Starfire's blank face, her eyes still firmly shut.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Later in the tower, Starfire comes to talk with Val-Yor as he prepares to leave. Kir-Lat and Cyborg are currently giving Val-Yor's ship a run-over.)_

Starfire: Val-Yor, I wish to thank you saving me.

Val-Yor: It was my fault you got into that mess in the first place. I'm amazed you turned out as well as you did; there was no way I would have survived that rock fall.

Starfire: My people are used to hostile conditions, as you said. Just because I am not warlike as you are, it does not mean I cannot be strong.

Val-Yor: _(laughs bitterly)_ Yeah… well.

_(He turns to leave.)_

Starfire: Why did you save me? I thought you said I was a Troq.

Val-Yor: A guy can change his mind, can't he? I suppose I just realized that… well, maybe you are worth something. Even if you're not a hardened warrior like I am, you do have compassion; kindness enough to try and rescue someone you hate. I'm not saying I like you or anything like that, but… well, I now realise what it is your Earthling friends see in you.

Starfire: What is that?

_(Val-Yor pauses.)_

Val-Yor: You truly are a friendly person; something that I hope I will be. Kir-Lat will tell you that I am too proud and arrogant and do not value others for their true worth, and I guess that is true. I need to learn to be more of a people person rather than a soldier. I respect you for having to fight yet being able to retain such virtues of innocence such as you have.

Starfire: And I respect you for being able to change.

Val-Yor: Don't count on it just yet. This may be just a temporary thing; to make it stick will take effort.

Kir-Lat: And I'll help you do that.

_(Kir-Lat and Cyborg have come back; Kir-Lat is smiling widely.)_

Cyborg: I guess it's goodbye.

Kir-Lat: I guess so. Perhaps we shall meet again some day?

Starfire: Perhaps. Farewell, friend Kir-Lat; friend Val-Yor.

Val-Yor: 'Friend Val-Yor', huh? Well, farewell to you as well, Meron Starfire.

_(This surprises Starfire, but she still waves with Cyborg as Kir-Lat and Val-Yor leave.)_

Cyborg: I hope that 'Meron' thing wasn't another bad name.

Starfire: No, quite the opposite.

Cyborg: Really? What does it mean?

_(Starfire watches as the ship takes off into the picturesquely fluffy clouds, the sun shining bright. A typical Starfire ending.)_

Starfire: 'Friend'.

* * *


	2. Equilibrium

Equilibrium

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Alright, before anyone starts it; this is not a Valentine's Day special! Or, at least, it didn't start out as one. I started writing this back in December, and I thought Valentine's Day would be a nicely romantic idea for the whole BB/Rae ship.

However, today I noticed that it was Valentine's so… well. I decided; what the hell? This is almost finished, and your readers might be expecting something for today, so give it to them.

Yes, before you ask; I am a hardcore BB/Rae. If you are looking for more Star/Rob in the Season Six Scripts, you're going to have to ask me _personally_.

Anyways… enjoy. (I stayed up until midnight writing this! You'd better enjoy it!)

* * *

P.S.: There was an entire fight scene and philosophical discussion I had to cut to make the script short enough to fit into the twenty or so minutes that every Teen Titans Go! episode has to fit; I hope you don't mind.

P.S.S.: In case you're wondering, Malchior _is_ referring to Eragon (you'll see what I mean).

P.S.S.S.: The last scene of this script was inspired by my work with Dark S3cret. She'll know what I mean. (Rambling rocks, yo!)

* * *

_(The night outside the Titans' tower is bright with the moon and stars; hardly any clouds pervade the luminescence. Raven watches from her window for a brief time before turning to go back into the recesses of her room. On the way to her bookshelf, she passes a calendar that is hanging from the wall. It is turned to the February page. There is the outline of a stylised heart in thick red pen on the fourteenth. Raven sighs, and continues on to the bookshelf. We hear her thoughts as she runs a finger along the back of the books, wondering which one to read.)_

Raven: Note to self: do not allow Starfire to decorate the calendars next year. She may have a reason to celebrate that day; I, personally, have no need for a celebration where expressions of love are communicated.

_(Raven selects a book and walks back to the bed to settle down with it. On the way back, her eyes fall on a certain chest. She sits upon the edge of her bed, and closes her eyes.)_

Raven: It is all too easy to forget that there is a downside to an emotion so often cast in such a favourable light. Sometimes it is best just to leave things alone…

_(Raven opens the book, and a familiar voice echoes through the room.)_

Malchior: Good evening, Raven.

_(Out of instinct, Raven snaps the book shut. However, it makes no difference; Malchior keeps talking.)_

Malchior: It's been a while since our last encounter, hasn't it?

Raven: What are you doing in this book?

Malchior: Right now, speaking to you.

_(Raven dashes the book to the floor in an altogether more violent manner than in 'Spellbound', prompting a short cry of pain from Malchior.)_

Raven: Don't act all innocent, Malchior. Your chance for beguiling me is long gone. How are you in this book?

Malchior: Well, if you must know, I have discovered a way to travel between books. It's quite fascinating, really; there's an entire-

Raven: What did you come here for, serpent?

Malchior: Please, Raven; there is no need to be so aggressive-

Raven: Aggressive? You are the one who so uncaringly toyed with my emotions to achieve your goal. If you are looking to do the same again now, you are even more idiotic than you look.

Malchior: Once bitten, twice shy?

Raven: Stop hiding behind your words and tell me what you want; either that or remove yourself from my book before I tear you to shreds.

_(Darkness flows over the book.)_

Malchior: Now, Raven. Let's not be rash.

Raven: Oh? And manipulating someone for personal gain is not rash?

Malchior: Well, I-

Raven: _(malicious)_ Return to whatever foul pit it is you crawled out of. I have better things to do than listen to your honey-coated words of poison.

_(The book is torn to confetti as the darkness slices it in a million different directions. However, Malchior is not yet gone; his voice instead appears to be coming from the bookshelf.)_

Malchior: Ooh, so tetchy. What's wrong Raven? Isn't life treating you well?

Raven: Ah. So you want to torment me, yes?

Malchior: It's good to talk about matters, especially if they could be going better. For instance: I notice that you are somewhat less than overjoyed.

Raven: And you are not helping.

Malchior: But I can. Make me real once more, and I swear on pain of death I can get you anything you want-

Raven: I don't need anything.

Malchior: Or anyone…?

_(The question hangs in the air. Suddenly all of the bookshelf is covered in darkness.)_

Raven: _(cold, unemotional)_ You have five seconds.

Malchior: Fine, fine: I shall be on my way… for now. Oh, and good luck tomorrow Raven. There's a first time for everything…

_(Malchior's voice fades away. Raven breathes out heavily and sets about collecting the shredded remains of her book, controlling her emotions.)_

Raven: I don't need anything. I need nothing. And I especially don't need anyone.

_(She throws the mangled ball of paper into the wastebasket. The screen moves up from it to rest on the gaudily decorated calendar once more…)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Opening sequence.)_

_(It is the next morning, bright and sunny, as it always seems to be in Jump. Robin, Starfire hanging onto his arm, is standing by the door to the main room; Beast Boy and Cyborg are gaming.)_

Robin: Well, it seems that no criminal is going to try anything today, so Star and I are going out for a while, okay?

Starfire: Indeed! We have so much to do together.

Cyborg: _(snickering)_ I'll bet you do. _(noticing what's going on in the game)_ Hey! Get back here!

Beast Boy: No way Jose! I'm going to win… shoot! Score! And the crowd goes wild!

_(Beast Boy goes through the obligatory motions of the victory dance to the background of an irate Cyborg.)_

Beast Boy: I'm 1-nothing up, and you have only a few minutes to do something.

Cyborg: Oh, you can bet I'll do something. I can kick your butt in racing games and fighting games; I can do it in soccer games too.

_(A few seconds of intense gaming, during which only the TV makes any noise.)_

Cyborg: Say, where's Raven? Usually our gaming sessions are being constantly barraged by disparaging remarks.

Beast Boy: I think she's still in her room.

Cyborg: On a day like this?

_(Shot of a toon-style Titans' tower with a huge smiley sun above it.)_

Beast Boy: Dude, it's exactly because it's a day like this that she's not coming out.

Cyborg: Not even to annoy you?

Beast Boy: I guess not. _(Beast Boy thinks about this)_ Do you think there's something wrong with her?

Cyborg: Well, we could go to Raven's room as soon as we've finished this game. It couldn't hurt to ask.

Beast Boy: _(fearful)_ Yes it could.

_(Beast Boy summons up a mental image of a fully enraged Raven, four red eyes black tentacles and all; this vision hangs above Beast Boy's head in a thought bubble. Cyborg looks at it, and winces; in fact it seems to freak him out so much he pops the thought bubble with a needle that extends from his finger.)_

Cyborg: Yeah, I guess so. What if there really is something wrong with Rae though?

Beast Boy: _(grudgingly)_ Fine, but remember; this was your idea. Wow!

Cyborg: Ha! Eat this! Score!

Beast Boy: Meh. So what? It's a draw.

_(They drop the controllers and proceed to Raven's room.)_

Cyborg: Only because I just managed to get the hang of the game: you've had loads of practice with it.

Beast Boy: Nope, sorry, the time for excuses was before the end of the game. I am not accepting any more of them.

Cyborg: Why not? You are an excuse: a bad one for a gamer.

Beast Boy: Oh, please. You only got that last goal 'cause I was feeling sorry for you.

Cyborg: That's weird. Normal people don't often feel sorry for people who are better than them.

Beast Boy: Well if I see any better gamers than me around here, I'll let you know.

Cyborg: In that case, I think you need glasses. And, was it just me, or were you wearing oven gloves while we were playing?

Beast Boy: Dude, I-

_(Beast Boy pauses in mid-retort as he realises where they are. Raven's door is practically only a few steps away. After a delicate pause, he speaks.)_

Beast Boy: Well?

Cyborg: Well what?

Beast Boy: It was your idea to check up on Raven, so you knock.

Cyborg: The last time I knocked, the door fell down. You do it.

_(Cyborg grabs Beast Boy and forces him to the door.)_

Beast Boy: _(desperately shouting)_ But it's not my fault if you're too strong! Look, I don't want to do this; it was your… idea…

_(The fade in Beast Boy's voice is apropos of Raven suddenly appearing in the doorway. After another pause, awkward this time, both the boys pull away from the door with surprising rapidity, and they both try to look as innocent as possible.)_

Raven: And to what do I owe this pleasure?

Beast Boy: You owe it to Cyborg. He's all yours.

_(Beast Boy turns the tables on Cyborg and pushes him forwards.)_

Cyborg: Yeah, um… you haven't been out of your room all day and it's almost lunchtime. Are you okay Rae?

Raven: Physically, yes.

_(Beast Boy somehow summons up the courage to speak.)_

Beast Boy: So… is something else wrong? It's just that I haven't known you to be this recluse since that Malchior dude was last… _(he sees something in her eyes)_ Raven?

Raven: If you must know, he's back. I don't know where he is right now, or even if there is a way of trapping him. All I know for certain is that he's found out a way to travel between books. He seems to delight in tormenting me.

Beast Boy: _(grim)_ So it is him. How do we trap him back in the White Book?

Raven: I don't know, but for now he's harmless. If there is a way to stop him, I'll find it. Now, please; go.

Cyborg: Why? Come out into the main room, at least, if not all the way outside. It's a great day today. It's even Valentine's Day; I don't suppose you would happen to have a special someone, would you Rae?

_(Raven adopts a dangerous expression.)_

Beast Boy: _(whispers to Cyborg)_ Get ready to run.

_(Raven opens her mouth to speak. However, whatever it is she was planning to say will never be known; the 'Trouble' alarm is ringing.)_

Cyborg: Trouble: come on guys.

_(Cyborg runs off; Raven is about to follow when Beast Boy catches hold of her shoulder. She does not move to look at him.)_

Beast Boy: Come on Raven; break out of your shell for just once in your life. I can understand why you can't allow yourself to get angry, but what's stopping you from being happy?

_(Silence: the alarm has stopped ringing.)_

Beast Boy: How much could it hurt to let your positive emotions out for once?

Raven: …you know the answer to that, just as I do.

Beast Boy:_ (confused)_ Huh?

Raven: Malchior. Terra.

_(With that, she vanishes in a flash of darkness, leaving a forlorn Beast Boy. The arm that was upon Raven's shoulder slowly drops to his side.)_

Beast Boy: _(depressed)_ Oh… yeah.

_(Cyborg appears down the corridor.)_

Cyborg: Get your butt moving, man! We have a city to save!

Beast Boy: _(distracted)_ Sure thing…

_(Beast Boy gets himself together and runs to save the day.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Cyborg is, as ever, driving the T-Car: Raven and Beast Boy are seated in the back on opposite sides, staring out of the opposite windows.)_

Cyborg: What's wrong with you two? Usually you'd be bickering merrily away about how annoying Beast Boy is. I hope this doesn't mean that the depression thing Raven has isn't contagious.

Beast Boy: I guess you could sort of say that.

Raven: _(reticent to begin)_ Look, I… I'm sorry that I reminded you about Terra. I know it wasn't a fair thing to do, but you need to understand that I just can't let my emotions do as they wish. I can't even let myself have fun. There are two sides two every coin. Terra is an example; I was hoping you'd understand.

Beast Boy: _(nodding)_ I do. The same thing happened to you, didn't it? You loved Malchior, but the Malchior you loved turned out to be false, and you lost him. Love can lead to loss; loss leads to sadness, anger, regret… I understand. Don't let me tell you what to be, Raven. That's just the way you are; it's not my place to change you. You're perfect the way you are.

_(During the explanation above, the two of them look each other firmly in the eyes and move away from the windows. When Beast Boy finishes talking, they both look down to see that Raven has accidentally placed her hand upon Beast Boy's; I guess the glove's material must have been just like the seat covers. Upon seeing this, they both whip back their respective limbs as though burned, and retreat once again to the extreme opposites of the seat.)_

Cyborg:_ (jovially)_ Wow, what's that going on in the back there? Is Valentine's Day working its magic?

_(Raven is about to speak, but Beast Boy beats her to it, mostly by virtue of being more of a loudmouth.)_

Beast Boy: Whatever you're thinking isn't true! Just concentrate on the road, okay? What we do is none of your business!

Cyborg: _(placating)_ Fine, there's no need to be so defensive. Just asking, that's all.

_(They arrive at the scene, and disembark. Starfire and Robin are already there. Upon seeing Raven, Robin inexplicably talks to the air.)_

Robin: Raven's here now. Show yourself.

_(A voice speaks from everywhere around them at once, as Slade seems to be very good at doing.)_

Duo: Very well.

Raven: What? This person wants to see me?

Starfire: Yes. She kidnapped a citizen and threatened to harm him if Raven did not come.

Cyborg: _(arming the sonic cannon) _So who is this she?

Duo: My name is Duo.

_(The road splits asunder and, out of the tear, a globe of rock rises into the air. It opens up like the petals of a flower, revealing Duo and, lying at her feet, the unconscious hostage. Duo wears a white cloak that can only be seen to end at her right arm. It has a hood that covers her entire face in shadow; her eyes are neither seen or can see through the cloth. She talks in a perfectly neutral voice all the time, unless otherwise indicated.)_

Raven: What do you want with me?

Duo: I will have your powers.

_(The Titans exchange puzzled glances.)_

Raven: Really? You may not have realized, but even if I wanted to give them to you I wouldn't be able to.

Duo: Don't worry about that; I am fully capable of taking them myself. I absorb your abilities along with your life essence.

Robin: You'll have to take down the rest of us too. I will not allow one of my friends to come to harm if I can possibly help it.

Duo: Of course you would. That's what friends are for. Or so I'm told, in any case.

Beast Boy: _(whispers)_ There is something really creepy about this person.

Cyborg: You bet. Even Raven couldn't achieve anywhere near this level of creepiness. Have you noticed the way she speaks? It's completely blank.

Duo: As you can see, I have one of your city's inhabitants at my mercy and, if I understand your modus operandi correctly, you cannot allow harm to come to him at any cost. Your choice is simple. I give you my word that the hostage will not be harmed if you allow me to fight Raven alone.

Robin: At least tell us what powers you have. No doubt you already know what Raven's are, or why would you want them? Forewarned is forearmed, so you have an unfair advantage.

Duo: I suppose it is only fair… fine then.

_(The darkness of Duo's hood glows faintly orange, and walls of rock spring up in a circle about her. Fire so hot that it melts the rock reveals the next colour in the hood to be red. A dark blue glow emanates from the hood, and water drops onto the molten rock, instantly evaporating into vapour. A light blue glow comes next, and the vapour is blown away by a sudden gale. Finally, all the light around the hood seems to get sucked into a black hole as the Titans are bathed in light that blinds them.)_

Duo: That is a quick introduction to my repertoire of power. As you can see, I have all the elements… except one, which Raven is currently in possession of. I just need the ability to control darkness, and all the elements shall bend to my will.

Beast Boy: Dude! Aren't you powerful enough already? Why do you need just one more power?

Duo: I thought the same thing a while ago. However, new information has come to my attention that puts me in mortal danger. I will have your powers, Raven. I have no other choice.

Starfire: Did you have to destroy others to acquire these powers?

Duo: Yes.

Cyborg: _(shocked)_ You took five lives?

Duo: As I said, yes, though why you find that so shocking I can hardly understand. Perhaps it is best that I do not. Emotions make you weak. Only through complete stilling of the soul can ultimate power be achieved. Why do I seem to be the only one who understands this? Do any of you know that?

Robin: No, we don't, for the very simple reason that it is not true. The very reason that we are such a powerful crime-fighting team is because of our friendship.

Duo: That's as maybe. I only want to fight Raven. Either I will win and take what is mine as detailed in the conditions of the agreement, or Raven will defeat me. If she does, then there is no shame in losing to a better person.

Beast Boy: _(taunting)_ Are you afraid that if you fight all of us we'll beat you?

Duo: I cannot honestly answer that question, since I do not know what it is to be afraid. As I understand it, fear is derived from the apprehension of losing something you love, whether it is yourself, someone else or something else. Since I love nobody and nothing, not even my own life, I do not know fear. Now then: will you face me Raven, or must I take this citizen's life?

Robin: Just give us a few seconds to make a decision.

_(Robin turns to the others; they go into a rough huddle.)_

Robin: So, Raven; do you think you can beat her?

Raven: _(clearly daunted)_ Duo is very powerful; the raw magical expenditure when she gave that demonstration was tremendous. I… I don't know if I can survive a one-on-one with her.

Beast Boy: Oh man… this can not be happening. She can't be allowed to kill Raven!

Cyborg: Who said Raven had to fight Duo at all? Let's just get the hostage out of here, and then all of us can help in the fight.

Starfire: Even so, with all five of us against Duo, I am not sure if we can defeat her.

Robin: _(defiant)_ Starfire, of course we can beat Duo. We've defended this city, even this Earth, from some of the most powerful beings in the universe. I will not give up while there is still life within me. Okay then Raven; accept Duo's challenge and then, when you get close enough to the hostage, get him to safety; we'll cover you.

Beast Boy: And Raven… be careful out there.

Raven: _(smiling ever so slightly)_ I will be.

_(They turn back to Duo.)_

Duo: So… is your decision made?

Raven: Yes. I'll fight you.

Duo: Very well. Let's begin.

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Raven and Duo face each other on the road; the other Titans move to the sidewalk.)_

Duo: _(ALL of this line is unemotional, remember)_ Since you appear to be weaker, I shall give you the first move. Use it wisely, for it may be your last.

_(A brief tic of annoyance crosses Raven's face, but it soon sets into an expression of fierce concentration. Then she disappears in a flash of darkness. Nothing appears to happen for a second or two.)_

Beast Boy: _(anxious)_ Where'd she go?

Cyborg: Ask me anything about biology, chemistry or physics, but please, nothing about magic.

_(Duo's cloak whips open, and from the darkness within Raven comes flying out. The white material settles again within a millisecond, revealing nothing. Raven steadies her flight through the air and lands, recovering from the effort.)_

Duo: That was… unexpected. You are shrewder than I'd thought you to be. However, as you have no doubt found, trying to penetrate my mind is a foolhardy task. Let me see what is inside yours…

Raven: _(alarmed) _No!

_(Duo turns about on a heel, swinging the edge of her cloak up. Where the spin should have ended, Duo instead disappears. Almost instantly, Raven falls to her knees, crying out in anguish.)_

Robin: Raven!

Raven: _(with difficulty)_ Get the hostage and go!

_(As they run towards the citizen, Raven gives another howl of distress that stops Beast Boy dead in his tracks.)_

Beast Boy: Raven, will you be okay?

Raven: _(her voice cracking)_ You have someone to save, remember? Go!

_(Though it is obviously preying heavily on his mind, Beast Boy turns back to do Raven's bidding. However, just as Robin reaches the dormant citizen, being at the head of the Titans, Duo reappears and shoots a fireball. Robin dodges just in time. Behind Duo, Raven has collapsed fully to the ground, and is struggling to regain her feet.)_

Duo: We agreed that the hostage would be taken after the fight has finished. As far as I can see, it has not yet happened; one of us must first destroy the other.

Robin: I don't care what deal we agreed to. As far as I can see, you are a murderer, and I do not make any deals with people like you.

_(There is a tense silence.)_

Duo: So it is.

_(The darkness inside Duo's hood glows light blue. An immensely powerful gale whips up, and, though the Titans resist, it is even more effective than the monster in 'Stranded'.)_

Duo: Now then, Raven; will you fight and force me to make you suffer even more, or will you just surrender now and give me what is mine?

Raven:_ (shaken)_ My life belongs to no one… least of all you.

Duo: Why do you insist on prolonging your pain? It is a simple matter; pain is unpleasant, surrendering will end the pain; the unpleasantness will end. What is so hard to understand about that?

_(Raven is finally standing again. She is drained, but still defiant.)_

Raven: It's you who has failed to understand here. I'm not giving up without a fight!

Duo: It all amounts to nothing.

_(The darkened hood glows red and fire spouts forth, almost incinerating Raven as she teleports. Raven sends a storm of blade-edged darkness at Duo, but she easily deflects it by use of a light-shield. Quite suddenly a slab of rock slams into Raven from below, and it begins to close around her as Raven phases through just in time, only to meet a tornado of fire pursuing her. She summons a shield, but is still forced back at such a rate that she smashes through a window and is deposited in a room filled with bookshelves. Malchior's voice echoes through the room.)_

Malchior: Ah, Raven. I see your situation is not improving.

Raven: _(bitter)_ Why should you care?

Malchior: Because, whether I like it or not, you are the only one who can free me.

Raven: Oh really? Then perhaps you'd like to save me from Duo?

Malchior: _(recognising the name) _Duo?

Raven: You know her?

Malchior: I know of her.

Raven: Can you stop her?

Malchior: I might be able to… but first I need you to do something.

Raven: No you don't; I'm not freeing you.

Malchior: Who said anything about freeing me? I can keep you safe. Books are very useful like that.

_(Five of the books soar out of the shelves and arrange the points of a pentagram around Raven.)_

Malchior: It's your choice, Raven.

_(The wall is disassembled, and Duo walks through it.)_

Duo: Now, Raven… you will die.

Raven: _(reluctant)_ Alright, Malchior. Do what you will.

Malchior: _Ekreanis Zanthix Detremius Lokor; Mayvir Carferrus Emextris Levror!_

_(Duo sends a fireball straight at Raven, but several of the books fly into its path and are incinerated in her place. Meanwhile, the pentagram glows black, making the five books explode, and Raven disappears in a whirlwind of paper.)_

Duo: _(she is not annoyed)_ …she was talking to Malchior. This is… interesting… and possibly dangerous… I shall just have to hope their enmity has not diminished.

_(Duo drifts off, away from the books.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Raven opens her eyes, and sees the dragon Malchior looking down at her with interest, his tail coiled in a circle around her. The walls, ceiling and floor are all made out of printed paper.)_

Malchior: Hello, sleeping beauty.

Raven: Please, Malchior; I get enough of that with Beast Boy. What did you bring me in here for; to trap me with you forever?

Malchior: Don't blame me. You're the one who said I could bring you in.

Raven: I didn't exactly have much of a choice. It was that or be killed and-

Malchior: -have your powers of darkness used for evil, yes, I know.

Raven: _(surprised)_ How did you know? You told me before that you know about Duo.

Malchior: Raven, think. Duo has powers over light, yes? Who do you think she killed to get them?

Raven: _(she considers this; her eyes open wide in realisation)_ No…

Malchior: Ah, the penny's dropped.

Raven: Rorek?

Malchior: Exactly. Rorek had been planning to seal me into another dimension once and for all, but then Duo showed up. _(viciously)_ I must say, it was supremely satisfying watching that troublesome old wizard die at her hands. However, once I saw her powers, I realised what it was Duo was trying to do.

Raven: She was trying to collect control of all the elemental powers through magic.

Malchior: Indeed. I realised then that, if she could get me out of that book, she would kill me to control my darkness. _(bitterly)_ The decision was hard to make, but I had to stay alive, even if I remained trapped. Fortunately, someone found me very soon; when a wizard dies there are always people standing by to take his power, possibly to sell it or use it for themselves. So it was that I whiled away the centuries, trying to find someone with the right kind of magic to free me.

Raven: 'The right kind of magic'?

Malchior: Come on, Raven; a curse made from white magic can only be broken by black magic. The main problem was that no black magicians wanted Rorek's White Book. Why would they? It contained white magic. But then…

Raven: …I came along.

Malchior: Yes, but, despite my relief, as we both know, my exploits turned awry. I hadn't banked on you being able to use Rorek's curse. You are obviously a lot more powerful than you appear.

Raven: Thank you, but I didn't come here for compliments. How do I defeat Duo?

Malchior: I think the question you should be asking is; how do we defeat Duo?

Raven: I told you already that I am not going to bring you back.

Malchior: Aren't you, Raven? Let me remind you that I am a dragon; the most powerful magical creature there is. If anyone can help you defeat Duo, it's me.

Raven: Oh yes? And how do I know you won't just turn on me once you're back in the real world?

Malchior: How am I supposed to turn on you? You have Rorek's curse.

Raven: Well… though I wouldn't trust your word under normal circumstances, I guess I don't have much of a choice. Take me back to the tower, and I'll free you.

Malchior: I'm so glad we have an accord.

_(Malchior stands up, towering over Raven.)_

Malchior: _Kedrinos Illistra Trekavron Selene; Tethera Elemno Mataris Levine!_

_(Malchior rears his head back after reciting the words and spits black fire at Raven. She flinches, but is unharmed. Malchior looks up to where the words are written on the ceiling, and, after a few seconds, the words disappear, revealing Raven's face as might be seen from Rorek's White Book, which is opened before her.)_

Malchior: We haven't much time. Duo is bound to find out you're back soon; move!

Raven: Does it look like I'm on vacation?

_(Raven races to set up the necessary; she props the White Book on a stand and surrounds it with other books of power in a circle, like in 'Spellbound'.)_

Raven: _(in tones of blood)_ You'd better not cross me, Malchior.

Malchior: _(deeply ironic)_ Of course, my sweet.

_(Ignoring the irony, Raven goes through the motions of the chant.)_

Raven: _Hezberek Et Morinay Gost Wenthen Verbis Nex; Indobrium Bespendruay Paran Sicortis Rex!_

_(Again, as in 'Spellbound', the White Book creates a monumental blast which knocks Raven off her feet. The sphere of power establishes itself, and out come the massive talons and wings. He stretches them leisurely, knocking holes in the ceiling carelessly.)_

Malchior: Ah… it feels so good to be back in reality.

Raven: Alright, serpent, let's get going. We've got a job to do.

Malchior: Indeed. It looks as though a job will also have to be done on your ceiling. Oh, and just in case you got any ideas from that abhorrent fiction you seem to like reading, dragons do not like being ridden, so you'll just have to fly there yourself. Do I make myself explicit?

Raven: Less talking, more flying.

_(Malchior takes off through the ceiling, reducing the roof to brick-dust. Raven looks momentarily annoyed, but it's more to do with Malchior's lackadaisical manner than the wanton property destruction. She flies off after him, and soon catches up.)_

Malchior: It's sort of ironic, really, that I'll be killing Duo.

Raven: Why?

Malchior: Well, she more or less saved me from being sealed into another dimension, right? She killed Rorek, and now it seems I must kill her.

Duo: Kill me?

_(They pause in mid-flight, and turn on a dime to see Duo hanging in the air behind them.)_

Duo: And how do you propose to do that, exactly? Indeed, Malchior is a dragon; a supremely powerful being, but we are surrounded by water. A dragon is no use in such circumstances.

Malchior: _(angered)_ Do you want to bet your life on that?

Duo: _(sadly shaking her head)_ So illogical…

_(Malchior shoots flame at Duo. She brings up a wall of water from the sea below, and negates the fire instantly. However, it turns out that there is darkness inside the fire, which goes straight through the water and looks uncannily like Malchior's head, fangs poised to strike. However, Duo extends a blade of light and slices the dark dragon head in two.)_

Duo: You'll have to try harder than that.

_(Raven creates a portal in front of Malchior, the other side of it just behind Duo. He gets the idea and reaches through, grabbing Duo. However, the moment Duo reaches the other side of the portal her hood glows light blue, and a gust of wind from either hand catches Malchior square on the wings. He is buffeted away, and drops to the sea, Duo still in his grasp. However, she soon emerges from the water, perfectly unharmed, and a quick burst of flame dries off her cloak.)_

Duo: No matter what ally you bring to fight me Raven, they shall all be defeated. Give up now. Surely you must see by now that your endeavours are pointless.

Raven: I don't care what ideas you have for making the Earth a better place. A world without emotion would be worse than Hell. I'll never give in to you.

Duo: Won't you, Raven? I have a little proposition to make; somewhat similar to the hostage situation as before, except on a much larger scale. _(She turns to face out to sea.)_ Not too far away from this city is a submarine fault-line. It would take only the smallest adjustment to spell doom for all the inhabitants of your city. Tsunamis can be surprisingly devastating.

Raven: You wouldn't!

Duo: Denial is always the first response of the emotionally driven. And, yes, I would, unless you give me your life and powers. I need them now.

Raven: _(confused) _Why do you need them now?

Duo: You do not need to know that. All you need to know… is your response.

Starfire: Raven!

_(She turns to see the rest of the Titans approaching: Starfire is carrying Cyborg, and a green pterodactyl is ferrying Robin.)_

Duo: Why do you turn to your friends? They can do you no good now. None of them can stop a tsunami.

Cyborg: … a tsunami? She's threatening to flatten the city!

Robin: And let me guess; she won't if Raven gives in, right?

_(They have reached Raven by now; she provides a platform for them to stand on.)_

Raven: That's right.

Beast Boy: _(shouting at Duo)_ Stop giving us choices we can't make!

Duo: But what's so hard to make about this choice? It's a simple one. Either you give me her one life, or I take several thousand.

Beast Boy: …it might be simple to you, Duo, but not to me. To me… Raven is worth more than several thousand lives.

Duo: Your answer is negative, then.

Raven: What? No-!

_(Duo extends her hands towards the sea. There is a deep rumbling, and the earth shakes. Panic grips the city as the wave slowly forms, way out at sea.)_

Duo: It is done.

Robin: If anyone has any ideas about stopping it, I'm all open.

Cyborg: We can try, but the most we can do is dissipate some of the tsunami's energy. We'll never be able to stop it completely.

Beast Boy: _(grimly)_ We'll just have to do what we can.

_(Raven moves off towards the wave, taking the platform with her.)_

Duo: They know it is futile, yet they persevere. Apparently, to be illogical means never to surrender under any circumstances. Still, it is likely they shall perish in the effort, and should Raven do so too, then so much the better.

_(Duo follows languidly.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(The Titans are all standing on a platform of darkness that remains poised a certain distance away from the tsunami, travelling backwards at the same speed as it. The wave is as yet still relatively small, but it keeps growing.)_

Cyborg: Focus on the base of the wave! If we can take out its foundations, the rest of it will fall.

Beast Boy: You got it.

_(Beast Boy hurls himself off the platform, and transforms into a massive green blue whale. Even though he slams square into the bottom of the wave, it only succeeds in reducing the wave by a tiny amount.)_

Cyborg: Rae; take me to the bottom of the tsunami!

Raven: As you say.

_(Continuously backing away, she separates Cyborg from the main platform and sends him to the base of the wave.)_

Cyborg: This had better work…

_(Both of his arms transform into sonic cannons. They power up to their maximum output, and, with a roar, Cyborg slams them into the water. Again, the splash is monumental, and Raven only just manages to pull Cyborg out before he's deluged, but the wave only diminishes slightly.)_

Cyborg: Well, I'm out of ideas.

_(Suddenly, the wave starts getting slowly smaller, and water vapour comes off it in huge amounts. Then Malchior slams through it, an orb of darkness protecting him from the water. He starts flying alongside them.)_

Malchior: Hello there.

Robin: Malchior!

_(Starfire readies two starbolts.)_

Raven: Starfire, don't worry; he's on our side. How did you survive that, though? Duo threw you straight into water; you didn't come back up!

Malchior: Isn't it obvious? If you don't succeed with a full-frontal attack, make them think you're dead and attack from the rear. It was a simple matter of creating a sphere of darkness around myself to keep the water out. However, I don't know if even I can keep this particular wave of water out. That's why I brought help.

_(They all look down and see Beast Boy nestled in Malchior's claws.)_

Malchior: Do you think you can do this, Beast Boy?

Beast Boy: Of course I can! Now let me go so I can do it.

Malchior: No need to be so touchy.

Beast Boy: Just because we're allies doesn't mean we're friends!

_(Malchior drops the protesting Beast Boy and, on the way down, he turns into a green copy of Malchior. He comes back up and tries to talk, but instead an incoherent roar emerges.)_

Malchior: Don't forget that you're not a real dragon. You may have the fire, but you don't have the magic; you can't talk like I can. However, fortunately all we shall need is the fire.

Robin: Anytime soon would be nice, Malchior; the wave's nearly on top of the city!

Malchior: As you wish, little robin.

_(Malchior nods at Raven and Beast Boy. Raven moves them out of the way, and Beast Boy and Malchior fly further ahead.)_

Malchior: _(to Beast Boy)_ When I say, turn and give that wave every last bit of dragonfire you've got. _(after a few more wing-beats)_ Now!

_(Both Beast Boy and Malchior wheel about and lance dragonfire at the base of the tsunami. It slowly falls, and when it reaches the tower and the city it is only a fraction of its size; barely enough to wash someone down the street. Beast Boy spots the others standing by the coast, and lands nearby; Malchior follows suit.)_

Beast Boy: _(jubilant)_ That was amazing! I should try being a dragon more often.

Malchior: Doubtless it is good, but we still have to deal with Duo.

_(A massive slab of road surface soars towards them, which Malchior dismissively melts with complacent ease.)_

Raven: Speak of the devil…

Duo: I must say; I am impressed. You actually managed to dissipate nearly all of that tsunami. But, it makes no difference, for now I shall claim what is mine.

Malchior: Raven; attack Duo with all the darkness you can muster. I shall do the same.

Raven: But she'll just negate it with light!

Malchior: Yes. That's what I'm betting on. Just surround her with darkness, and she won't be able to teleport her way out of this one.

_(Raven is puzzled, but accepts the advice. Needles of darkness zoom in on Duo, which she easily blocks with a dome-shield of light. Malchior deluges Duo with darkness, but when it clears she's nowhere to be seen.)_

Starfire: _(priming starbolts)_ Show yourself!

Duo: As you wish.

_(Duo-shaped fragments of light suddenly start appearing all around them.)_

Beast Boy: You just had to say it, didn't you Star?

Malchior: _(derisive)_ What's wrong, Duo? Are you afraid the big scary dragon will defeat you?

Duo: I do not know what it is to fear. Emotions are for those who do not control the true power that can only be got once the mind is in perfect harmony.

Robin: You call a mind that kills perfect?

Duo: I thought killing was a normal happenstance in this world. You even have a saying encapsulating that idea, don't you? The law of the jungle; kill or be killed. You seem happy enough to slaughter millions of animals everyday to feed yourselves; you kill millions of plants just to clear space. Why is that any different from killing a human?

Malchior: We are not here to discuss ethics. We are here to fight.

_(The dragon folds its wings about the Titans, completely sheltering them, and unleashes a tornado of dragonfire which swallows all the Duo copies. When the dragonfire clears, there is just one Duo left inside a dome-shield of light.)_

Malchior: And, inevitably… we are here to kill. Now, Raven!

_(Malchior unfurls his wings and from them Raven bursts out, hands spread and already deluging Duo with darkness. The dragon joins in, breathing burning darkness all over the dome-shield.)_

Duo: _(struggling)_ Ah… so you have finally found my weakness. I suppose it was only a matter of time once Malchior had arrived…

Raven: I thought you said you were invincible?

Duo: No, I never said that. I just said you couldn't beat me… alone. And yet, had I been in your position, I would have given up, seeing that it was a futile struggle. I would never have persevered like you did until a Deus Ex Machina appeared.

Raven: So do you finally admit that emotions are worth something?

Duo: No. Nothing is worth anything to me. Emotions make you more attached to the physical plane, and thus make you less powerful. I am so powerful precisely because I need no emotions. I need nothing. I need no-one.

_(Raven's eyes widen as she realises what Duo has just spoken mirrored her own words. With that, she sends a final surge of darkness at Duo. The dome-shield of light shatters, and, though Raven lessens her power, Malchior continues unrelenting, crushing Duo under the sheer weight of darkness. Then Duo's body explodes outwards, in one instant releasing all the elements inside her. The Titans recover from the explosion, and regroup.)_

Malchior: I hate to say it, but… you did well, Raven.

Starfire: What exactly did Raven do?

Malchior: You need to understand, like Raven here is beginning to, that no human should be able to withstand such power. Because Duo had managed to completely scrub herself of emotion, she was therefore ideally suited to accept all those elemental forces into her mind, but there was one problem.

Raven: It was balance, wasn't it?

Malchior: Indeed. Like all things in this universe, if they are not balanced they will quickly spiral out of control until finally, the whole entity disintegrates. You may recall that Duo wanted to have your powers of darkness quite dearly, yes? Well, that's because, though all the rest of her powers were balanced - air, earth, water, fire – there was no darkness to balance the light. When we started making her overuse her light to combat our darkness, the imbalance caused Duo to overbalance. Raven and I didn't really defeat Duo; we simply found a way to let Duo defeat herself.

Robin: I guess we owe you one for saving us.

Malchior: Yes, you do… _(Raven glares at him)_ …though my freedom is repayment enough.

Cyborg:_ (to Raven, alarmed)_ You're freeing him?

Raven: Don't worry. If I hear that Malchior's been making trouble, he'll be back in Rorek's Book in split seconds flat.

Malchior: I shall be taking my leave of you now. No doubt there will be a nice volcanic island somewhere I can call home. _(he turns to leave)_ Oh, and Raven? Should you ever need help again… look somewhere else.

_(With the hauteur that only Malchior can generate, the dragon lifts off and lazily wings his way across the sunlit sea.)_

Beast Boy: It's about time he went. I don't know why we were working with him anyway. That guy's a villain!

Robin: Well… desperate circumstances call for desperate measures. Besides, you should never be too quick to label someone a villain. Does doing a single bad deed make him a bad guy? Or, for that matter, is he a hero now just because he helped us?

Starfire: Does it really matter? All we need to know is that we are good, and that, should anybody attempt to commit morally reprehensible acts, we shall be there to thwart their efforts, whether they are good or bad.

Beast Boy: Brilliantly summarised, Starfire. Now let's get to the pizza parlour! Phone ahead and get them to prepare a Titans Special, Cyborg!

Cyborg: You got it.

_(The Titans move off, leaving Raven still looking out to sea where Malchior last disappeared. She has not moved since he did. Beast Boy notices, and goes to join her.)_

Beast Boy: _(to the others)_ You guys go on ahead; we'll see you there. _(to Raven)_ You okay Raven?

Raven: I'm fine.

Beast Boy: I've heard you say that a hundred times when it is so blatantly obvious that you're not fine. If you were fine you'd be hovering along with us and making deadpan comments about how dumb you think I am. Tell me what's wrong. You can trust me; I'm a friend. _(Beast Boy follows her gaze)_ Hey… you're not missing that Malchior creep? You don't… like him, do you?

Raven: If you say that again I'll make sure it's the last thing you ever say.

_(The usual Raven threat, accompanied by as many portents of ill fortune as you wish to include. Beast Boy, however, does not cringe as per usual.)_

Beast Boy: Hey! Now that's the Raven I've come to know and love!

_(She starts to walk after the others.)_

Raven: You don't mean that.

_(Beast Boy remains stationary.)_

Beast Boy: What, I'm not allowed to… oh. _(Beast Boy suddenly goes awkward)_ Um, about that thing in the car earlier-

Raven: You're forgiven.

Beast Boy: I wasn't looking for forgiveness.

_(Raven stops, still facing away.)_

Beast Boy: I wanted to change what I said earlier. I don't want you to remain this way. After I've seen Duo… it made me change my mind. I don't want you to become an empty vessel like her, simply there for the purpose of collecting and dispensing power. I can't bring myself to imagine a Raven completely without emotion, even if that is what you want. I both can't and won't let it happen, for both our sakes.

Raven: Both… our sakes?

Beast Boy: Well… yes. You can't imagine how much it hurts me to see you like this everyday. You never have fun, and you always keep to yourself, reading your books in your dark room and never experiencing just what it is that life can be. You've never truly lived. Why can't you just give yourself that one small chance?

Raven: I have told you before. I cannot-

Beast Boy: Yes, I know. You cannot experience love without loss, or happiness without sadness. There are two sides to every coin, like you said, and the universe must balance, like Malchior said. But you've had enough sorrow. Your life has been filled with anger and depression, and I think it's time you got some of the payback due. Enjoy your life. You're the only one who can, after all. Don't become like Duo. That's all.

_(Beast Boy morphs into a bird and flaps after the rest of the Titans, not looking back at Raven once. She watches him go silently, and, after a time, lowers her hood. The sunlight spreads across her face and she lets the foundations of a smile manifest themselves on her face. With this, she disappears, a flash of darkness against the sun. However, it is not yet over; Beast Boy comes back and turns into his human self. He looks about for Raven in vain.)_

Beast Boy: What? Ah, she must have teleported… man. I don't know if I'll ever manage to get up the nerve again. And today is Valentine's Day, after all… ah well. I can just say it tomorrow and it'll still be special… I hope.

_(After a brief look around in the hope that Raven might miraculously still be there, he flits off, leaving the sea to play with the shore as they please.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

_

* * *

_


	3. Kam

Kam

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I want to make it clear that these episodes come in no certain chronological order. I wanted to establish that before there were any cries of outrage at the relationship being introduced in only the third chapter.

Also, there was an entire scene I deleted in this to make it fit the required episode length. It would have been in Raven's mindscape (which is _not_ called 'Nevermore', BTW) featuring Raven, Anger, Love and, fleetingly, Envy. Though it was a good scene, it is more or less derived from 'The Fifth Colour'

* * *

_(Scene: The main room of Titans Tower. The double doors open to reveal Beast Boy, striding through with his usual uninhibited vigour.)_

Beast Boy: Good morning everyone!

_(He pauses with a foot over the top step upon seeing that there is nobody there, save for Raven, who is serenely reading on the couch. In fact the sudden shock causes Beast Boy to overbalance, and he falls down the stairs in true Beast Boy style.)_

Raven: _(not even looking up)_ Firstly, it's closer to afternoon than morning, and secondly, I'll let you know when I change my name to 'everyone'.

_(Undaunted, Beast Boy gets up and walks to the couch, sitting, or lounging, a respectful distance away from Raven.)_

Beast Boy: So where is everyone else?

Raven: _(idly turning a page)_ Robin and Starfire went off to do something together, as per usual ever since we came back from the Far East, and Cyborg is tinkering with some device to… I don't know… make waffles out of thin air or something…

Beast Boy: Do not underrate waffles. They rock.

Raven: Only because you smother them with syrup of Biblical proportions.

_(As Raven continues talking, a thought bubble over Beast Boy's head envisions him in an ark floating in the middle of a sea of syrup, in the fashion of Noah's Ark.)_

Raven: Talking of food, aren't you going to have your traditional morning pig-out of tofu, Beast Boy?

Beast Boy: No, I don't think so. I don't feel hungry for some reason.

Raven: Fine. Just keep it quiet.

_(Beast Boy then proceeds to do so. He keeps glancing across at Raven surreptitiously. She tries to catch him at it several times, and eventually succeeds.)_

Raven: _(moderately annoyed)_ What do you keep on looking at me for?

Beast Boy: Do I have to have a reason?

Raven: Normally I would not expect you to operate on something so high-brow as actual reason, but yes.

Beast Boy: Is it suddenly illegal to look at you or what?

Raven: Not like… _(the penny drops; slightly horrified tone)_ …you're not… checking me out… are you?

Beast Boy: _(positively angelic)_ What? No, no; of course not. Why would I want to look you over?

Raven: Are you saying I'm ugly?

_(During Beast Boy's following diatribe, Raven becomes increasingly surprised by Beast Boy's use of formal language.)_

Beast Boy: Ah, here we go. It's a Catch-22 where I'm trapped into saying either that I do like you, meaning that I shall incur your wrath, or that I think you're ugly, and incurring your wrath even more. So what do you want me to say, huh? That I'm madly in love with you and want to get hitched right away?

Raven: That is not my point. My point is that any relationship between us would go down in flames quicker than the Hindenburg. We are simply too different; we share no common interests. I mean, look at us. I pride myself as somewhat of an intellectual and you goof off all the time.

Beast Boy: _(seemingly unconcerned)_ And I spend all my time dispensing joy and happiness, whereas you can't even admit that you _have_ emotions. Sure, I understand.

Raven: _(bridling)_ I do too have emotions. _(trailing off)_ I… just can't let them out…

Beast Boy: _(grim, staring at the floor)_ Yeah. I know.

_(There is an awkward moment as they both look away. Then, just as their eyes snap back to each other and they open their mouths to speak, the doorbell goes off, whatsoever it may sound like. Beast Boy instantly turns away in a business-like fashion that cuts Raven cold, and turns on the television, switching to the security cameras to see who is there. His eyes widen in shock and the remote clatters to the tabletop as he sprints out of the room to get to the door. Raven is still there, and gazing at the screen in disbelief.)_

Raven: _(shocked)_ No… how? How could she be back?

_(As Raven speaks these last words, the screen is shown. On it, casually dressed and waiting at the door to Titans Tower with a faintly worried expression on her face, is Terra.)_

_(Opening sequence.)_

* * *

_(Scene: Outside the Tower, Terra shifts uneasily from foot to foot outside the door. Within a few seconds it shoots open, and Beast Boy shoots out, equally as quickly.)_

Beast Boy: _(beaming)_ Terra! You're back!

_(He makes to hug her, but she holds a hand at his chest, keeping him away. Terra has the atmosphere of someone who has only half-heartedly made a decision, and is now starting to regret it.)_

Terra: I don't know what's been wrong with me lately. I've been constantly nagged by the feeling that I'm missing something… something that I don't know about. Then I remembered you… but until I know for certain that I did used to be this other girl you want me to be, then I'd rather stay as me, and I do not hug complete strangers.

Beast Boy: But we're not complete…

_(Beast Boy starts out exuberantly, but fades away as he sees Terra's expression. She gazes at him earnestly.)_

Terra: All I came to you for was to listen to what you wanted to tell me; nothing more. If you're telling the truth, then maybe…

_(She trails off uncertainly, and gives a small, shaky smile to Beast Boy. He grins warmly.)_

Beast Boy: Alright, I understand. You don't remember, so I'll treat you as you want to be. I just want you to be happy.

Terra: Thank you.

Beast Boy: Come on in.

_(With awkward smiles, Terra follows Beast Boy inside. Raven is there. Her eyes are fixed on Terra, an atmosphere of incredulity hanging about her.)_

Terra: _(whispering to Beast Boy)_ Who is she?

_(Something in Raven's head clicks, as though she is coming back from somewhere far away.)_

Raven: Sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Raven.

_(Raven steps up to Terra and offers her a hand in a forthright fashion. Terra, somewhat taken aback, nonetheless accepts the hand and shakes it faintly._

Terra: _(abashed, brightly)_ Oh, hello… I'm Terra.

Raven: Yes… I know. What Beast Boy says is true. We know who you are. It would be… nice to have you back, if you ever regain your memory.

_(This transaction finished Terra and Beast Boy head off to the door behind Raven. Without turning or even moving, Raven speaks.)_

Raven: Beast Boy… could I have a word with you?

Beast Boy: Sure.

Raven: Alone.

Beast Boy: We have nothing to hide. Anything you can say in front of me you can say in front of Terra.

_(Raven turns around, and keeps her eyes firmly on Beast Boy.)_

Raven: Just because I can do something doesn't mean I should.

_(Beast Boy sighs.)_

Beast Boy: Head on up, Terra; I'll be along soon.

Terra: Okay.

_(Giving Raven a lingering but carefully blank stare, she goes through the doors.)_

Beast Boy: _(resigned)_ Alright Raven. What's wrong?

Raven: _(sharply)_ 'I just want to make you happy.' I swear I had to stop myself from being sick when I heard that.

Beast Boy: So the truth makes you sick, does it?

Raven: When it's twisted like that, yes. She doesn't even know you and you're already making passes at her. At least have the decency to wait until she remembers.

_(Beast Boy pauses and sighs. He looks away from Raven for a second. When he looks back, he is resolute.)_

Beast Boy: You're just jealous.

Raven: _(affronted)_ What? You have come up with some stupid ideas since I've known you, Garfield Logan, but this must crown them all.

Beast Boy: So what was up with that moment back in the main room, huh?

Raven: I don't have to explain myself to you!

Beast Boy: And neither do I.

_(He wheels about with an air of finality and strides after Terra. Raven remains for a while, staring at the door Beast Boy left through. She closes her eyes.)_

Raven: _(tense)_ Shut up. I am _not_ listening to you.

_(Raven drifts off. Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Scene: Later in the day, all the Titans and Terra are seated around the table. Beast Boy is pointedly sitting directly next to Terra. Raven is pointedly sitting directly across the table from Beast Boy. Robin and Starfire are sitting next to each other of course; and Robin does not need to worry about any embarrassing displays of public intimacy, since Starfire has directed all her exuberance towards Terra. Cyborg is staying firmly ambiguous in emotional terms.)_

Starfire: Friend Terra, it fills my heart with joy to see you here with us once again.

Terra: Yeah, I sort of gathered that when you nearly broke my ribs.

Robin: _(smiling easily)_ You get used to it after a while. How long are you planning to stay with us? _(earnestly)_ You must understand that we would be very glad to have you back as a member of the team.

Terra: _(downcast)_ Well… I don't think anyone's going to miss me. I live at an orphanage with no friends to speak of; I get bad grades so the teachers couldn't care less about me… nobody needs me. I wanted to feel needed, and then I remembered you.

_(Terra looks at Beast Boy, and her faint smile is reciprocated. Cyborg coughs gently.)_

Cyborg: Right now we need to focus on that patchy memory of yours. I have a few techniques in mind that might work.

Terra: _(pleasantly)_ I'm sure anything you suggest will be fine. You are the tech whiz here, after all.

_(Cyborg accepts this neutrally.)_

Robin: Your old room is still up, though all your personal effects have since been removed. Stay as long as you want, and if you need anything, just ask.

Terra: Thank you.

_(Robin stands and everyone takes this as a signal of dismissal. They get up to leave.)_

Robin: Oh, Raven? Could I talk with you for a second?

_(She sighs, but goes back to the table in any case, where Robin and Starfire still are.)_

Raven: This is about Terra, isn't it?

Robin: More specifically Beast Boy.

Raven: I hope you're not implying that I would be jealous of Terra if their old relationship started up again.

_(Robin gestures to Starfire, as though handing his half of the conversation over to her.)_

Starfire: But that is exactly the problem. Lately I have observed you acting… differently around Beast Boy.

Raven: Oh, please. In what way could any of my recent actions possibly have shown any signs of affection towards Beast Boy? He's still just as much of a numbskull as he has ever been, and I generally make it a point not to attach myself to people with negative IQs.

Robin: Both you and I know that Beast Boy is far from stupid. Indeed, he is putting considerable effort into being funnier whenever he's around you.

Raven: Beast Boy is always trying to be funnier. He has a lot of room for improvement.

Starfire: And whenever he was away from you he felt… well, withdrawn. Not quite himself.

Raven: So what if he has a crush on me? That does nothing to prove any feelings you allegedly state I have towards him.

Robin: Doesn't it? Look, I can see this is getting nowhere, so I'll leave you to think about this. Remember-

Raven: Yes, yes; I can always talk to you if I have any problems.

Robin: _(smiling)_ It's nice to see that you remember. Now, if you'll excuse us…

_(Robin and Starfire leave Raven to look over at Beast Boy and Terra. Though it is very slight, she frowns, but snaps back to neutrality.)_

Raven: You will not control me… rational thought can overcome emotion…

_(Meanwhile, Beast Boy and Terra have settled on the couch. Terra has just noticed that Raven was looking toward them.)_

Terra: What's up with Raven?

Beast Boy: Why?

Terra: She was just looking at us… in an odd way…

Beast Boy: Ah, she looks at me in odd ways all the time. I guess it's just some kind of gesture of acceptance or something; nothing to worry about.

Terra: But I've heard stories about her… 'The Demon Girl of the Titans'… isn't she emotionally unstable?

Beast Boy: Only when she gets angry. The rest of the time she's _too_ emotionally stable. I am talking ice-cold here. Anyway, forget Raven. What do _you_ want to do?

Terra: _(uncertain)_ Well… I need to go to my room for a while… just to rest and sort things out in my head, you understand.

Beast Boy: _(breezy)_ Sure; go ahead. Take as long as you feel you need.

Terra: Thanks.

_(She smiles briefly at Beast Boy and departs.)_

Raven: I see things are going well between you two, then.

_(Though Raven has quite suddenly appeared behind Beast Boy, he does not leap out of his seat as he usually would.)_

Beast Boy: So what if they are?

Raven: Am I not allowed to be happy for you?

Beast Boy: You never have been before.

Raven: There has never been reason for me to be. But now it seems you two lovebirds-

Beast Boy: _(half-shouting)_ Will you get off my case? Terra doesn't even love me yet, and even if she did what difference would it make to you?

Raven: None at all. Nothing ever does, remember?

_(Beast Boy is about to answer, but she has already disappeared in a flash of dark. Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Scene: Cyborg's room. He is not, interestingly enough, tinkering, but is instead lying on his 'bed', plugged into one of the nearby machines. There is a knock at his door.)_

Robin: Hey Cyborg; could I talk with you for a second?

_(Cyborg's eye opens, and his bionic one flickers back on.)_

Cyborg: Sure… come in.

_(As Cyborg unplugs himself, Robin walks in.)_

Robin: I'm not interrupting anything, am I?

Cyborg: No, of course not. What's wrong?

Robin: You didn't seem exactly over the moon that Terra's back.

Cyborg: Should I be? She wasn't exactly a godsend last time.

Robin: But she saved the city.

Cyborg: Yes, Terra stopped the volcano… after she'd already triggered it.

Robin: But she was willing to give her own life to undo her mistake. Doesn't that mean anything to you?

Cyborg: Well… look, if I tell you the real reason why I feel that Terra's bad news, you're not going to think it's valid.

Robin: I'll be the judge of that. Tell me.

Cyborg: Alright… my electronic sensors keep telling me there's something wrong whenever I look in Terra's direction. I can't tell what exactly, but I get the feeling something is being hidden that my machine side can only partially sense.

Robin: Are you sure your systems are functioning properly?

Cyborg: Either that or I'm malfunctioning. I checked them over twice.

Robin: Well, be that as it may, but we can't act on something you can't pinpoint.

Cyborg: See?

Robin: Look, I think you're being slightly unreasonable. We have no reason to suspect that Terra may be up to something.

Cyborg: Really? How do we know Slade hasn't used her again, now she's forgotten all about him? Think about it.

Robin: If he is then we will take every possible action we can to rectify the situation, but until we have any real evidence I have to request that you curb your suspicions. Do I make myself clear? I want no mention of this in front of Terra.

Cyborg: Of course.

Robin: Alright.

_(Robin leaves Cyborg to ruminate on the situation. He still wears an anxious frown, despite, or perhaps because of, the conversation. Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Scene: Later on in the main room, the boys are having their customary gaming session.)_

Beast Boy: You're going down, dude!

Cyborg: So what? That's what you said the last million times I beat you.

Robin: And, though I've only played you a half of a million times Beast Boy, I seem to remember something similar.

Beast Boy: I don't care! You are _not_ beating me today! The law of averages is on my side!

_(A picture of chibi renditions of Cyborg and Beast Boy each standing on one pan of a set of balancing scales fills the screen as Cyborg talks. Beast Boy has a humanoid piece of paper standing on his side that says 'AVERAGES' on it. The scales are in perfect balance.)_

Cyborg: Beast Boy, if the law of averages was on your side, you should have won a long time ago.

_(The chibi Cyborg grins mischievously, and blasts away the piece of paper. Cyborg tips the scales; he thuds onto the floor whereas Beast Boy is sent rocketing into the sky by the sudden imbalance. The chibi Cyborg strikes a triumphant pose.)_

Beast Boy: Law of averages or not, I'm still gonna kick both your butts!

Robin: _(reacting to something on-screen)_ Wow!

Cyborg: _(alarmed)_ No! I can't lose to Beast Boy! I still haven't broken my previous record for number of games won in a row!

Beast Boy: Face it! It's inevitable! I will win!

_(There is a moment of frenzied button-tapping, where the other two start to glance at Beast Boy apprehensively; his controller starts to spark under the extreme pressure. Finally he wins, and tosses it into the air with a cry of wild jubilation.)_

Beast Boy: _YES! _I am the game-master! I beat both of you at the same time! _Ha!_

Cyborg: So what of it? The overall score is still umpteen to one.

Beast Boy: I don't care!

_(Beast Boy collapses back onto the couch and gives a contented sigh.)_

Beast Boy: Dude, today is the best. I just won a game against you two, there's been no trouble, _and_-

Robin: Terra's back.

Beast Boy: Just what I was gonna say.

Robin: No, I mean…

_(Words fail him and he simply gestures to one of the side-doors of the main room; Starfire is there alongside a weeping Terra. Starfire helps her to the couch, where Beast Boy also crowds around; Robin draws near, but Cyborg pointedly keeps his distance.)_

Beast Boy: Terra! What's wrong?

Terra: _(keep in mind she has been crying, so speak her lines with a slightly cracked voice and the involuntary indrawn gasps)_ Raven… attacked me…

Beast Boy: _(incredulous)_ What?

Terra: She told me to keep away from you, or it would happen again…

Beast Boy: But… but Raven would never do that!

Starfire: She is crying, Beast Boy! Do you think Terra would lie about something like this?

Robin: Beast Boy, I-

Starfire: _(ferocious)_ No. You will not talk, Robin.

Robin: _(understandably surprised)_ What did I-?

Starfire: You know very well what it is you did, Robin! You said you would not take any steps to help Terra simply because there was no conclusive evidence that she had been attacked. I do not want to hear another word from you. _(gently)_ Come, Terra; let's go somewhere else.

Terra: No… I want to stay here…

_(In a sudden gesture, Terra throws herself against Beast Boy and hugs him tightly, still softly sobbing. He slowly returns it, trying to look totally neutral, simply fulfilling the role of reluctant comforter which has been thrust upon him by Terra.)_

Starfire: Very well, friend Terra. If you need help, come to me. _(she casts a dark glance at Robin)_ I, however, do not wish to remain in this room.

_(Starfire storms out of the room through the main doors, leaving Robin at a complete loss.)_

Robin: _(hurt)_ What was that all about?

Cyborg: Do you believe me now?

Robin: What do you mean?

Cyborg: _(puzzled)_ What do _you_ mean? We talked-

_(Raven walks in through one of the side-doors. Terra gives a small cry of fear and shrinks away. Raven stops and notices the way Terra's staring at her.)_

Raven: Sorry… though what I'm sorry for I have no idea.

Robin: _(shocked)_ How do you have the nerve to say that after what you did?

Raven: _(calm)_ I did a lot of things today, but I wasn't aware that any of them were wrong.

Beast Boy: _(sharply)_ You mean you think hurting Terra isn't wrong?

Raven: _(darkly)_ What is that supposed to mean?

Robin: She is crying because _you_ attacked her, not to mention threatened her with more if she didn't stay away from Beast Boy! Or maybe you forgot?

Raven: _(vicious)_ Terra is lying. I have done nothing more than look at her.

Beast Boy: Is that so? I don't know about you, but normally I wouldn't expect a look to reduce someone to tears!

Raven: _(losing composure)_ She is deliberately fabricating lies about me! Terra's turning you all against me, simply because she thinks Beast Boy likes me more than her!

_(Terra comes away from Beast Boy and advances on Raven slowly.)_

Terra: That isn't true. He loves _me_, and you couldn't stand it, so you thought you could just get rid of me and take him for yourself! _Admit it!_

_(The two girls stare each other down, until finally darkness crackles over Terra's body and she falls to the floor. Raven backs away in horror. Beast Boy rushes to kneel at Terra's side, staring wild-eyed between her and Raven.)_

Robin: _(furious)_ Raven! Control yourself! _(to Beast Boy)_ How is Terra?

Terra: _(weak)_ I can't… move…

_(Cyborg starts tapping away at his arm panel.)_

Beast Boy: _(anguished)_ What is _wrong_ with you Raven?

Raven: _(afraid)_ But… I didn't…

Robin: _(authoritative)_ Raven, you have overstepped the line, whether you meant to or not. Go now before you do any more damage. I will see you in your room in due time and we will discuss whether you should stay on the team.

_(Raven, ashamed, disappears in darkness. Cyborg's eyes widen in realisation as he reads something on the display.)_

Cyborg: Move aside, please. I want to try something.

_(Beast Boy obliges, still looking up at Raven in confusion and anger. Cyborg takes out a device half-way between a disc and a hemisphere, and presses it to Terra's back. Nothing happens.)_

Beast Boy: What did you do?

Cyborg: Well, I was trying to unfreeze Terra. It didn't seem to work, though.

Terra: Wait…

_(Her fingers twitch. Slowly, and with great difficulty, Terra sits back up and is immediately engulfed in Beast Boy's embrace.)_

Beast Boy: _(relieved)_ Terra… you're alright…

Terra: No, I'm not alright… I should never have come here. I've only caused bad feeling between all of you.

Beast Boy: _(pleading)_ But that's not your fault! Please… don't go. We can still work things out.

Terra: _(repentant)_ I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I really wanted us to be friends and more, but… that can't be. I guess I'll never fit in. I have to leave.

_(She stands and walks to the main door, limping slightly. The others try to help, but Terra waves them away.)_

Terra: No. I've already been enough trouble to all of you. I'm going alone.

_(Starfire comes through the doors, and realises something's happened.)_

Starfire: Friend Terra… where are you going?

Terra: Home.

Starfire: But this _is_ your home now.

Terra: It may have been once… but no more.

_(She stops just before the double doors to the main room, and looks back.)_

Terra: To all of you… I'm sorry. You'll never see me again.

_(She finally disappears through the doors. Beast Boy is distraught, and practically on the verge of tears. He closes his eyes tight, and runs from the room before anybody can summon the words to stop him. However, Cyborg is completely unmoved.)_

Cyborg: Good riddance.

Starfire: _(shocked)_ Cyborg! How can you say that?

Cyborg: Because I know something you don't.

Robin: There is nothing that could possibly excuse you saying something like that!

Cyborg: You think so?

_(Cyborg's fingers flit over the display on his forearm. However, as he looks down, he notices the darkness that is now seeping across the floor to meet them.)_

Cyborg: _(wearily)_ …oh no…

Robin: Raven.

_(Raven's side-door is blown inwards by a blast of dark, and the Red Raven comes through. Instantly the entire main room is engulfed in dark.)_

Anger: Where is Terra? _Tell me!_

_(The dark constricts, squashing Starfire, Robin and Cyborg. Several of the smaller and weaker items in the room are crushed entirely.)_

Cyborg: Raven… please calm down! That wasn't Terra!

Anger: _Liar!_

Beast Boy: Raven.

_(Her head whips to the side to see Beast Boy in the other side-door.)_

Beast Boy: If you want someone to hurt, here I am.

_(The Red Raven's darkness leaves Starfire, Robin and Cyborg, and instead forms into a barrage of lethal needles which all whip towards Beast Boy. Cyborg uses the distraction to his advantage and barrels across the main room, plugging himself into the television and bringing up a picture of Terra on the screen, seen from his point of view when she was floored.)_

Cyborg: Raven! Look this way!

_(She does, and, as soon as she sees Terra on the screen, the picture changes, moving one frame forward. Instead, it shows a black-coloured robot, lying in exactly the same position as Terra. The Red Raven pauses uncertainly, not knowing what to make of this, it not being an obvious threat.)_

Cyborg: That was not Terra! I don't know how, but this robot can simulate other people, and I managed to break its cover with an EMP to its back, just for a millisecond before the reserve power kicked in. See? None of the strife caused over the last few days was the fault of any of us now here! That thing caused all this. Terra is not responsible.

_(The Red Raven pauses completely for several seconds. Then, after a tense silence while she just stares at the picture on the television screen, the Red Raven fades away, leaving an unconscious Raven behind. The others crowd around. Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(Scene: Robin, Starfire and Cyborg are gathered around a computer screen in Cyborg's room. Again, he is connected to it, and images flash over the screen as seen from his viewpoint at the time, in coordination with what he is saying.)_

Cyborg: The evidence is irrefutable. That Terra we saw was simply a simulacrum.

Starfire: But what about Robin? He told me that he would not do anything about Raven. Surely that wasn't him?

Cyborg: I'm sure it was the robot, Starfire. Robin would never say that. Right, Rob?

Robin: Of course. But what was the robot here for? It didn't attack us or try to sabotage the tower. What could it possibly have been doing here?

Starfire: But don't you see, Robin? It didn't have to attack us. It destroyed the one thing that made us such a good team; our friendship. After that, all it had to do was wait for us to destroy each other. It even made me turn against you...

_(Starfire looks ashamed._)

Robin: It's okay, Star. If I ever became like that, I would not blame you for hating me. The day I turn my back on a member of my team is the day I am no longer Robin.

_(Starfire looks up as he says this, smiles and hugs Robin.)_

Starfire: Thank you. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.

Robin: But I'm still disturbed by this. If it hadn't been for Cyborg, the robot's plan would have worked.

Cyborg: No. That's not true.

Robin: I trust you did see Raven go ballistic.

Cyborg: Yes, I did. However, unlike you, I saw it in milliseconds…

_(The screen changes to show the needle barrage, again from Cyborg's point of view, from the television screen. He plays it, frame by frame, until-)_

Cyborg: You see? The dark kept moving constantly up until here. _(points)_ It stopped just short of Beast Boy. Also, though you, Starfire, may have shouted at Robin, you would never have hurt him, right? _(she nods)_ Well now. The robot's plan would never have succeeded, simply because we care too much for each other. Even though Raven's anger was controlling her, Raven's love for Beast Boy simply wouldn't allow her to hurt him.

Starfire: Love? Do you mean you think-

Cyborg: I _know_. _(he smiles warmly)_

* * *

_(Scene: Outside Raven's room, Beast Boy quite firmly knocks on her door. She opens it fully and stands, framed in it. After an awkward silence, they both try to speak at once.)_

Beast Boy: Sorry. You go first.

Raven: Thank you… look, Beast Boy… I'm… _(she sighs)_ There's no way I could ever express how sorry I am for attacking you.

Beast Boy: No… I shouldn't have been so blind to your emotions. I only thought about Terra… I mean, that robot… had me in the palm of its hand, and I forgot all about you. It's not your fault.

Raven: We were both at fault.

Beast Boy: Yes… you know that Terra is still out there, yes? I mean… if she came back…

Raven: Don't worry. Nobody will ever come between us again.

_(Beast Boy slowly smiles, and then finally cracks up, despite the dark situation.)_

Raven: What?

Beast Boy: Dude… that just sounded exactly like something a girlfriend would say…

_(He stops laughing when he realises that Raven is smiling too. Taking advantage of the situation, she hauls him into her room and closes the door.)_

_(Fade to black.)_

* * *

_(The screen stays perfectly black. All that can be sensed are the following voices; Slade's crackles slightly, as though being received over a radio link.)_

Slade: Was the primary objective accomplished?

(?): Affirmative.

Slade: And the secondary objective?

(?): Sensors indicate that secondary objective has been negatively accomplished.

Slade: _Negatively_ accomplished? That could be useful… anyway, it makes no difference as of now. The primary objective has been accomplished and, when the time comes, I shall strike. Send my thanks to your creator, Kam.

Kam: Affirmative.

_(It turns out that the black is in fact only the face of the robot Kam. The camera zooms out, eventually becoming a security camera. Kam looks up at the CCTV camera with his eyeless face.)_

Kam: My creator wishes to communicate this to the Titans.

_(Kam turns into a rendition of the Grim Reaper, scythe and all.)_

Kam: Your time on this mortal coil is coming to a close. Mark my words, Titans… your days are numbered.

_(Focus on the hooded skull during the last few words. Fade to black.)_

* * *


End file.
